The hassle of getting the government bureaucracy, in whichever province of the country, to process paperwork has for decades been so great that jokes have grown up around it.

Years ago, citizens breathed a sigh of relief with the setting up of the centralised National Database and Registration Authority, which has over the years established a comprehensive and cross-referenced database against which the records of citizens are readily available.

Computerisation meant that, for example, citizens could henceforth apply for the renewal of the National Identity Card from the area in which they happened to currently live — as opposed to having to return to their area of permanent residence as recorded in government registers.

Read: Punjab govt to offer ‘driver-friendly’ licences

Now, the Punjab government has approved a step that will remove one more niggling, though inevitable for many, headache: under the second phase of the Driving Licence Issuance Management System, which has now been given the nod by the finance department, applicants will be able to get all kinds of driving licences (which apply to different categories of vehicles) from any driving licensing authority in the province.

This is significant because, under the old system, there was no provision for people to acquire their driving licence from any place other than their district of permanent residence; and there are a great many Pakistanis who have shifted away from their native areas of residence, and who would need to return to have their licences issued or renewed.

This is a praiseworthy step, and deserves to be replicated all over the country.

Other archaic document-issuing systems, particularly those pertaining to passports — which falls under the purview of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, Ministry of Interior — need to be similarly brought up to date with current realities, particularly when the technology is there and there are examples to emulate.

Rapid urbanisation, migration and internal displacement are realities in Pakistan; a great number of people move away from their native areas. Issuance of the necessary documents should reflect that.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015

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