An internet outage at the District Courts domicile branch in Rawalpindi has suspended all certificate issuance for one month, leaving thousands of students without required documents.
The biometric verification system in the branch has remained non-functional for several weeks, blocking students from completing college and university admissions requiring domicile certificates as essential documentation.
Unemployed individuals applying for jobs that require domicile certificates have also been severely affected, with dozens of applicants visiting the office daily only to leave empty-handed.
Branch officials confirmed that financial constraints have prevented timely repair of damaged internet cables and associated infrastructure, leaving the entire verification system completely non-operational.
The biometric verification system, which is mandatory for domicile issuance, cannot function without an active internet connection, making certificate processing entirely impossible under current conditions.
A written report has already been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office requesting urgent intervention to restore the internet and biometric systems as soon as possible.
“Not a single domicile has been issued in one month because the biometric system depends entirely on internet connectivity,” a branch official confirmed to reporters.
Thousands of applications remain pending, awaiting restoration of the service, with officials at the DC’s Office stating that repairs are currently in progress.
The DC’s Office maintained that restoration of internet cables, Wi-Fi network and all associated systems is expected to be completed within the coming week.
Female students and their families have been among the most affected, making repeated visits to the branch hoping to obtain certificates before university admission deadlines expire.
Qaisra Begum has visited the branch with her three daughters since before Eidul Azha, but their university admissions remain incomplete without the required domicile certificates.
“When authorities cannot ensure uninterrupted internet, why was biometric verification introduced without adequate safeguards?” she questioned.
Applicant Naveeda Hashmi urged authorities to take immediate measures to facilitate students whose academic futures are being jeopardised by ongoing administrative and technical delays.
