Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority has introduced a new digital facility for Punjab arms licence verification, allowing citizens to complete biometric checks through the Pak ID mobile app instead of visiting offices in person. The update marks a significant change in how applicants and licence holders can handle verification for Punjab arms licences.
Applicants can submit requests through the Punjab Arms Licence website and then complete remote biometric verification using the Pak ID app. Publicly available NADRA pages also confirm that Pak ID supports biometric verification workflows.
The move follows earlier restrictions imposed by the Punjab Home Department in November 2025. At that time, authorities had suspended all procedures for verifying and computerising manual arms licences, including those held by individuals, institutions, and security companies.
The new system aims to reduce the need for physical visits and make the verification process more accessible. Instead of appearing in person for biometric confirmation, users can now complete that step remotely through a government-backed digital platform.
That change could speed up processing for many applicants, especially those dealing with older manual licences that still require computerisation or updated verification. The shift also reflects a broader trend in Pakistan toward digital identity and remote verification services.
Authorities had already given citizens and institutions holding old manual arms licences a final opportunity to computerise those licences. However, the latest announcement states that they have now cancelled all previous instructions related to that process.
That means the government is not simply extending the earlier process. Instead, it is replacing the previous framework with a revised digital route linked to remote biometric verification.
Public Punjab government materials also show that arms licence verification and related licensing functions remain part of the district and provincial administrative systems, providing context for the policy shift.
The Home Department has also asked divisional commissioners and additional secretaries to provide detailed reports on arms licences computerised between March and November. At the same time, it sought updates on efforts to recover illegal weapons and move forward with the province-wide de-weaponisation campaign.
Those parallel requests suggest the new digital verification facility is part of a wider administrative review, not just a technical service upgrade. Authorities appear to be linking licence management more closely with oversight, record-checking, and enforcement.
