Pakistan Moves from Smart Cards to Digital Identity

In a 2025 article titled 'The Dilemma of Pakistan's Passport' (see IDN September 2025), this author examined how a technically sound travel document had nonetheless been exploited through fraud and weak institutional oversight. The article concluded that the reforms then underway were, at best, patchy and stopgap measures. That assessment remains relevant but deserves revisiting in light of a wider shift in how Pakistan manages identity itself.

For years, debate about Pakistan's identity documents has focused largely on the physical credential: the card in a citizen's wallet, its embedded chip or the security features protecting it from forgery. In 2026, however, Pakistan has begun a more consequential shift. The focus is moving from the document alone towards how identity is verified, authenticated and used across an increasingly digital society.