PM Shehbaz directs expansion of digital consular services for overseas Pakistanis

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to expand digital consular services for overseas Pakistanis, improve facilities at Pakistani missions abroad, streamline the complaints mechanism and accelerate the digitisation of document attestation and official transactions.

According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the directives were issued during a meeting chaired by the prime minister, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s ambassadors serving in various countries, and senior officials from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Ministry of Information Technology and other relevant departments briefed him on ongoing reforms.

“Overseas Pakistanis are our valuable asset, and providing them with every possible facility is the government’s top priority,” PM Shehbaz said.

During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that a QR code system had already been introduced to simplify power of attorney procedures, property purchase and sale transactions, and the attestation of documents for Pakistanis living abroad.

“Welcoming the initiative, the prime minister directed authorities to prominently display the QR codes at Pakistani embassies and missions to improve access to the digital complaints registration system,” said the statement.

PM Shehbaz also instructed the MoFA to launch a dedicated awareness campaign to encourage overseas Pakistanis to use the QR code-based system for lodging complaints.

“The meeting was informed that the MoFA has recently introduced an evening shift at its Islamabad office to facilitate citizens. Document attestation services have also been launched at the Asaan Khidmat Centre in Islamabad,” it added.

The statement further stated that the officials said the ministry had introduced courier-based attestation services and integrated its verification system with the databases of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC), the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the National Police Bureau, significantly reducing processing times.

“The meeting was further informed that the apostille system has streamlined the attestation process into a one-step procedure. Work is now under way to fully digitise the system, with the National Information Technology Board (NITB) developing a mobile application,” read the PMO statement.

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It stated that once completed, the application would enable the digital verification of documents including birth and death certificates, marriage registration certificates and family registration certificates, among other official documents.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State Awn Chaudhry, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa and other senior officials attended the meeting.