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A month-long breakdown of internet and biometric verification services at the domicile issuance branch inside the District Courts complex in Rawalpindi has disrupted essential public services, leaving thousands of students and job applicants unable to obtain domicile certificates required for admissions and employment, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, the prolonged outage has reportedly halted the issuance of new domiciles entirely, creating a growing backlog of applications. Applicants continue to visit the office daily with completed paperwork, with no actual progress. Officials at the branch attributed the crisis to financial difficulties that have delayed repairs to damaged internet cables and related infrastructure. They stated that the biometric verification mechanism, which is mandatory for domicile issuance, remains dependent on a stable internet connection. Without it, the entire process has effectively come to a standstill. The disruption has particularly affected students racing against admission deadlines. Many families have been forced to make repeated trips to the office in hopes of securing the necessary documentation. Female students and their parents are among the worst affected, as uncertainty continues to grow over their academic futures. Authorities at the branch confirmed that thousands of applications remain pending. A formal request for intervention has already been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner's Office, seeking urgent restoration of connectivity and related services. Meanwhile, officials from the DC's Office said repair work on the damaged internet cables, Wi-Fi network and associated systems is underway and is expected to be completed within the coming week. However, frustrated residents argue that the crisis exposes serious flaws in the government's digital governance framework, as cited by The Express Tribune. Affected citizen Qaisra Begum said she had been visiting the office with her three daughters since before Eid al-Adha, yet their university admission procedures remain incomplete due to the absence of domicile certificates. Another applicant urged authorities to immediately assist students whose educational opportunities are being jeopardised by administrative inefficiency and technological failures, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)
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