RAWALPINDI:
A prolonged internet outage at the address issuance branch located within the District Courts complex in Rawalpindi has left thousands of students, job seekers and members of the public facing serious difficulties, with no new addresses reportedly being issued over the past month.
Sources said the branch’s biometric and internet verification system has been down for several weeks, creating significant obstacles for students seeking admission to colleges and universities, as well as unemployed people applying for jobs that require residency certificates as part of the hiring process.
Branch officials revealed that severe financial constraints have prevented the timely repair of damaged internet cables and related infrastructure. As a result, dozens of applicants reportedly visit the office every day with completed paperwork, only to return home disappointed to learn that their applications cannot be processed.
The situation has especially affected female students and their families, many of whom have repeatedly visited the office in the hope of obtaining the required certificates before the admission deadline expires.
According to branch officials, the Wi-Fi network and internet cable had suffered technical damage and that a written report had already been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner requesting urgent intervention.
They explained that the biometric verification system, mandatory for the issuance of addresses, cannot function without an active Internet connection.
“Not a single new address has been issued in the last month because the biometric system is totally dependent on internet connectivity,” an official said. “Thousands of applications remain pending, waiting for service to be restored.”
Meanwhile, officials from the DC Office maintained that the process of repairing and restoring the internet cables, Wi-Fi network and associated systems is in progress and is expected to be completed within the next week.
Qaisra Begum, one of those affected, says she has been visiting the branch with her three daughters since before Eidul Azha, but her daughters’ university admission formalities could not be completed without domicile certificates.
“If the authorities cannot guarantee the uninterrupted operation of the Internet system, why was the biometric system introduced without adequate safeguards?” she questioned.
Another applicant, Naveeda Hashmi, echoed similar concerns and urged authorities to take immediate steps to facilitate students whose academic future may be affected by administrative delays.
