Digital PoA service launched for overseas Pakistanis

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rolled out the Digital Power of Attorney (PoA) Service as a platform providing global overseas Pakistanis with an efficient digital solution to process PoA without a physical appearance at respective embassies.

The ceremony was held at the Foreign Office, Islamabad. Foreign Secretary, National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Tariq Malik, Spokesperson FO and senior officials from both departments were present on the occasion.

NADRA has designed, developed and implemented a web-based solution to digitally issue PoA. More than 9 million overseas Pakistanis can avail the facility from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need and cost of travel to a Pakistani mission.

This will particularly benefit those overseas Pakistanis who live at a distance from an embassy or consulate. The innovative solution for digital PoA, created by NADRA, utilises state-of-the-art Pak-ID Online Biometric Verification Services.

During the application, the applicants along with two witnesses will scan and upload their paper-based biometrics, which are verified through the National Database in real time.

NADRA has then enabled a video interview module in the application that will allow the Consular Officer at the concerned Pakistan Mission to conduct an online interview of the executors, and witnesses, and notarise their consent to execute the PoA.

The solution includes features to upload scanned documents, and pictures and also allows the Consular Officer to conduct real-time verification from NADRA. The features incorporated above meet the global benchmarks of e-KYC compliance.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in collaboration with NADRA first launched the pilot phase of POA at US-UK based 10 Pakistani Missions in November 2021 that received a substantial response from overseas Pakistanis across the world.

Foreign Minister Bilawal said that it gives him immense pleasure to launch the Digital Power of Attorney service that would benefit Pakistanis overseas. He said that this would be of great aid to our missions abroad that are underfunded and burdened.

In both of his terms, NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik has made significant contributions to the digitisation process. In his first tenure, the initiative of electronic CNICs was taken which greatly facilitated the disbursement of funds to the underprivileged and deserving women of Pakistan through the Benazir Income Support Programme.

The foreign minister said that it is hoped that this facility currently being provided to overseas Pakistanis will be extended to those in our country, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also benefit our embassies and improve consular services.

Meanwhile, the NADRA chairman said that identification is one of the key manifestations of the explosive spread of digital technology.

NADRA is now helping government institutions capitalise on this digital transformation by taking performative action based on our analysis of human connections.

It is pertinent to mention that more than 8,000 applicants have processed PoA applications from just two countries in the past 16 months and the highest numbers of applications received are from Pakistani missions in London, New York and Houston respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2023.