LAHORE: In a bid to ensure a complete coverage of civil registration tasks across the province, the Local government department is all set to enter a trilateral agreement with the Health department and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) by December 26.
Under the agreement, a part of the government’s drive to get vital events such as birth, marriage, divorce and death registered, the local government department would get access to the data through other public sector organisations.
“A lot of work to ensure 100pc civil registration coverage is being done these days as a part of the ongoing reforms in various departments,” Local Government & Community Development Director General Ahmad Kamal Maan said while talking to Dawn on Sunday.
According to him, the Punjab cabinet recently approved a trilateral agreement proposal seeking complete civil registration coverage through the provision of data to Nadra by the health department. This data would then be transferred online to the local government’s union council-based online system linked with Nadra’s system, he added.
The agreement will allow the LG dept to access key data of citizens such as births, marriages, divorces and deaths
“Under the agreement, the health department will provide data to Nadra which is already linked with our UC-based system. As soon as we receive it, we will be able to contact the people concerned through automated SMS for civil registration,” he said. The government had exempted registration of birth and death from any fee, as these certificates were being issued to the people free of cost, he added.
He revealed that this trilateral agreement would be signed by all three parties in the coming days. “In the next step, we will involve the private sector hospitals to become part of this drive. An awareness drive to reach out to the people at UC and village level is also being planned to be launched soon,” the DG maintained.
To a question, he said the department had also launched a mobile app through which the citizens, without visiting the UC secretary offices, could register the vital events. Once they register, the system would send their applications to the concerned quarters for verification and processing. Within a short span of them, the certificates would be issued to the applicants, he explained.
To another question, he said that the government had also empowered the concerned deputy directors to settle the delayed birth registration (seven years-old or more) in a bid to facilitate the people. “Previously, they had to file a suit in the court and get a decree if the birth was not registered on time i.e. before seven years of age. Now, we have ended this condition, empowering the DDs to decide such cases through conducting inquiries,” he said.
Meanwhile, an awareness drive had been planned across the province to ensure complete civil registration, particularly in remote areas. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. The meeting was attended by Local Government Special Secretary Arshad Baig, while LGCD Director General Ahmed Kamal Mann briefed the participants on the departmental performance and ongoing initiatives. Matters relating to capacity-building and institutional reforms within the LG department were also discussed.
Addressing the meeting, Minister Rafique said that, alongside the mass registration drive, a comprehensive awareness campaign would be launched to promote e-registration. He noted that Pakistan’s first e-registration mobile application had been introduced in collaboration with Nadra, enabling citizens to avail birth registration services online with ease. The minister directed the DG to expedite appointments against vacant posts and ensure timely departmental promotions.
He further announced that union councils across Punjab would be transformed into service centers to improve service delivery. To enhance transparency and efficiency, the minister instructed that fee schedules must be prominently displayed at all union councils. He highlighted that GPS-based attendance of union council secretaries had already been initiated, adding that the next phase should include a review of CCTV camera installation in union council offices.
Mr Rafique also directed that a staff movement register be maintained at every union council and that contact numbers of visiting citizens be recorded to improve follow-up and accountability. He emphasised that assistant directors must conduct regular visits to union councils within their jurisdictions and hold open courts to hear and address the citizens’ complaints directly.
MINISTER’S VISIT: Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin visited the Data Darbar and Bhati Chowk Expansion Project site and reviewed the ongoing development works.
Tepa Chief Engineer Iqrar Hussain gave a detailed briefing on the progress of the project. The minister was informed about the removal of the existing road in front of the shrine and the construction of new pedestrian pathways. The minister also inspected the expansion of the Data Darbar premises and the adjacent land across the road. He directed the authorities to ensure restoration and facilitation of access routes for the convenience of devotees visiting the Data Darbar.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Yasin said that widening and beautification of roads in an area under severe traffic pressure once seemed impossible. He stated that the CM had taken a historic initiative for the restoration and beautification of the Walled City of Lahore. Upon completion of this state-of-the-art expansion project, the number of tourists and devotees was expected to increase significantly, he added.
He also instructed that smooth traffic flow from Bhati Chowk must be ensured at all costs during the development works. Officials from the Auqaf Department, LDA, MCL, Traffic Police, and local notables were also present on the occasion.
Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2025
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