Sindh launches mobile app for free registration of birth, death, marriage

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah launched the Civil Registration Management System (CRMS) Mobile Application to bring birth, death, marriage, and divorce registration services directly to citizens’ doorsteps through a seamless, paperless, and technology-driven platform.

The broader Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, approved with a budget of Rs 471.254 million. It would cover 30 districts and 769 health facilities to ensure digital registration of 85 per cent of births at public and private hospitals, the CM said.

He added, “The immunisation, disease surveillance, and patient identity management would also be connected with the CRMS,” he said and added, “This is a major milestone in the provincial government’s ongoing transition towards Digital Sindh.”

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the chief minister said the Sindh government was fully committed to digitalising governance processes to enhance transparency, efficiency, and public convenience.

“This launch is a significant step in our shift from paper-based to technology-driven governance. The CRMS Mobile App promotes transparency, efficiency, accessibility, and public trust, highlighting Sindh’s leadership in digital governance for the benefit of all citizens,” he said.

Mr Shah noted that all proceedings of the Sindh Cabinet had already been fully digitalised. Birth and death registration coverage, however, had remained low for years, largely because many low-income families could not afford NADRA’s registration fees.

“To remove this barrier, the Sindh cabinet decided that the provincial government will bear all NADRA fees for birth and death registrations,” he said, adding that NADRA had cooperated extensively with the province on this reform.

The CRMS Mobile App, developed in collaboration with NADRA, is designed to eliminate long queues, paperwork, and delays. It allows citizens – especially those in remote or marginalised communities – to register vital events without visiting government offices. The system provides accurate, single-source digital records integrated with provincial databases.

The chief minister said that accurate and timely civil registration would now enable real-time census data, improving the government’s capacity for evidence-based planning. “Initiatives such as online address change are now a critical need of the time,” he remarked.

Murad Ali Shah announced that birth registration immediately after childbirth would soon become mandatory across Sindh. “Five years from now, school planning for every child will be based on this data,” he said, directing that hospitals register each newborn immediately at birth.

He added that implementation at the union council level was the most crucial stage of the reform and instructed that UC representatives’ performance be evaluated based on registration rates.

The chief minister highlighted the importance of the new system for the health sector, particularly in immunisation, disease surveillance, and patient identity management.

The integrated data would support programmes such as the Electronic Immunisation Registry and enable targeted interventions for diseases such as thalassemia.

The Chief Minister stated that the comprehensive Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, approved with a budget of Rs 471.254 million, will cover 30 districts and 769 health facilities to ensure the digital registration of 85 per cent of births at both public and private hospitals.

Murad Ali Shah highlighted the provincial government’s strong partnership with NADRA, noting its role in setting national standards through solutions like PakID.

He reaffirmed Sindh’s dedication to expanding digital reforms to include services such as domicile issuance, social protection systems, health records, licensing, and e-payments, all under a unified and secure digital platform.

“The Sindh government is committed to improving public convenience through digital reforms,” he said, expressing gratitude to the NADRA chairman and his team for their cooperation.

Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho informed the Chief Minister about the 769 health facilities where digital registration of 85 per cent of births at public and private hospitals will be carried out through the app.