Pakistan’s digital governance failure leaves thousands stranded as domicile system collapses in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: A month-long breakdown of internet and biometric verification services at the domicile issuance branch inside the District Courts complex in Rawalpindi has disrupted essential public services. As a result, thousands of students and job applicants are unable to obtain domicile certificates required for admissions and employment. This situation was reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the prolonged outage has reportedly halted the issuance of new domiciles entirely. This has created a growing backlog of applications. Furthermore, applicants continue to visit the office daily in Rawalpindi with completed paperwork, with no actual progress.

Officials at the branch attributed the crisis to financial difficulties. These difficulties have delayed repairs to damaged internet cables and related infrastructure. Consequently, this has increased challenges for the people of Rawalpindi.

They stated that the biometric verification mechanism, which is mandatory for domicile issuance, remains dependent on a stable internet connection. This challenge has become significant in Rawalpindi because, without it, the entire process has effectively come to a standstill.

The disruption has particularly affected students racing against admission deadlines in various Rawalpindi institutes. Many families have been forced to make repeated trips to the office in hopes of securing the necessary documentation.

Female students and their parents are among the worst affected, as uncertainty continues to grow over their academic futures. To clarify, authorities in Rawalpindi at the branch confirmed that thousands of applications remain pending.

A formal request for intervention has already been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Officials are seeking urgent restoration of connectivity and related services for Rawalpindi district residents.

Meanwhile, officials from the DC’s Office said repair work on the damaged internet cables, Wi-Fi network, and associated systems is underway. It is expected to be completed within the coming week. However, frustrated Rawalpindi residents argue that the crisis exposes serious flaws in the government’s digital governance framework. This was cited by The Express Tribune.

Affected citizen Qaisra Begum said she had been visiting the office with her three daughters since before Eid al-Adha. Yet their university admission procedures in Rawalpindi remain incomplete due to the absence of domicile certificates.

Another applicant urged authorities to immediately assist students whose educational opportunities are being jeopardised by administrative inefficiency and technological failures in Rawalpindi. This was reported by The Express Tribune.

(ANI)

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