LAHORE, March 30: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) is all set to issue new Machine Readable Passports (MRP) from September this year.

The new passport would be issued within three days, Nadra chairman Saleem Ahmed Moin said while briefing a group of newsmen from Lahore on the working of the authority at its headquarters in Islamabad on Monday.

The MRP would have unique physical and technical security features which could not be forged or tampered with. Supported by an integrated automated border control system, the MRP would help eliminate the problems being faced by the immigration authorities while verifying travel documents.

Hundreds of Pakistanis cross into developed countries every year on counterfeit travel documents. Mr Moin said that MRP would stop human trafficking from the country.

It may, however, be mentioned that Malaysia had been avoiding to hire workers from Pakistan because of their unreliable travel documents. It has now agreed to provide jobs to over 200,000 Pakistanis if they possess MRP and Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC).

Some 20 countries around the globe are issuing MRP. In Asia, only Malaysia and Myanmar has shifted from traditional passports to the MRP. Nadra officials toldDawnthat the new passport would provide automated assessment of data relating to travel documents and its bearer.

The data would lead to fast, accurate, and secure facilitation of the travellers. The elimination of human intervention through the effective use of sophisticated computer hardware and software would also facilitate a high degree of reliability in monitoring and tracking applications.

The officials said that 18 entry and exit points (EEP) would be linked with the MRP. The process would ensure success and preserve dignity and authority of documents.

They said the government had already equipped the NADRA online verification system to verify the credentials of the applicants for new passports. The offices had already verified credentials of over 82,000 passports applicants through the data base.

They said the network throughout the country provided an easy access to the national databases verification system. They said the Nadra had also developed an online identity verification service, VERISYS, which enabled the organizations to register and verify their customers on the spot by using web-based application. The information provided by VERISYS has been based upon front and back image of the CNIC.

The Nadra chairman said the authority had delivered over 35 million CNIC so far. It had a capacity of delivering 100,000 CNIC daily. He said the CNIC carried a 2D barcode. The thumb impression of a cardholder would be stored in it and would be used to match for identification.

The Nadra also had phonetic research system to connect the Urdu data base with the English data base. Mr Moin said the authority was planning to bring out the fingerprint identification capability in the CNIC that would help citizens carry out secure banking transactions.

The fingerprints would be classified in an accurate and consistent manner based on gender, age, language and permanent address. He said the data of over 53 million individuals, including minors, available at Nadra terminals could ensure smooth planning and implementation of the government policies and projects.

He said the Nadra had provided computerized birth, death and marriage registration system to the district governments of Lahore and Sialkot. The system would also be installed in other parts of the Punjab soon.