Stymied reforms

I wish to highlight an issue faced by many senior citizens regarding biometric verification for essential services. The government recently passed a bill allowing senior citizens to sign a waiver in cases where biometric impressions cannot be captured effectively. This was a commendable step towards simplifying processes for the elderly. However, during a recent visit to Islamabad, as a 65-year-old overseas Pakistani, I encountered a major setback. While trying to resolve a misplaced mobile phone SIM, my fingerprints repeatedly failed to register. Despite the government’s facilitation, the telecom company refused to honour the signed waiver, citing the reason that my NIC does not have a lifetime validity.

This raises an important question: if the government has taken steps to ease the process, why are service providers nullifying its effect through arbitrary conditions? Elderly individuals often face difficulties with biometrics due to age-related issues and such rigid policies create unnecessary hurdles. I urge the concerned authorities to hold service providers accountable and ensure that government-mandated reforms are implemented uniformly.

Imran Muhammad

Islamabad