KARACHI: On Friday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah officially launched the Civil Registration Management System (CRMS) mobile application, providing a convenient, paperless platform for registering vital events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The Sindh CM House issued a statement confirming the development.
The initiative is part of the broader Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) project, which has received a budget allocation of Rs471.254 million. Covering 30 districts and 769 healthcare facilities, the system aims to facilitate the digital registration of approximately 85% of births occurring across both public and private hospitals in the province. The system will also connect with immunization programs, disease surveillance, and patient identity management, the CM explained. He described this as a significant step forward in Sindh’s ongoing digital transformation.
During the launch event, CM Murad emphasized the Sindh government’s commitment to digitizing administrative processes to boost transparency, improve efficiency, and make services more accessible. “The CRMS mobile app marks a major milestone in our transition from traditional paper-based procedures to a modern, technology-driven governance model. It will foster transparency and build public trust while serving citizens better,” he stated.
He pointed out that all decisions of the Sindh cabinet had already been fully digitized, but birth and death registration rates remained low for years, primarily because many low-income families could not afford NADRA’s registration fees. To address this, the provincial government has decided to cover all NADRA registration charges for births and deaths, with NADRA collaborating closely on this reform.
The CRMS app, developed in partnership with NADRA, aims to streamline registration processes by eliminating queues, reducing paperwork, and minimizing delays. It enables residents, especially those in remote or underserved areas, to register vital events without visiting government offices. The digital records are accurate, centralized, and integrated with provincial databases.
Murad Shah highlighted that precise and timely civil registration data would now support real-time census updates and aid evidence-based policymaking. “Online address change and other digital initiatives are now essential tools,” he added. The CM announced that registering a child’s birth immediately after delivery would soon become mandatory across Sindh, with plans to base future school enrollment and planning on this data.
He stressed that implementing the new system at the union council level is critical and directed officials to evaluate their performance based on registration rates. The system also holds importance for the health sector, especially in immunization efforts, disease tracking, and patient identification. The integrated data will bolster programs like the Electronic Immunization Registry and facilitate targeted health interventions for diseases such as thalassemia.
Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho informed that the digital registration process would be operational at 769 healthcare facilities, covering both public and private institutions, to achieve the targeted 85% birth registration rate through the app.
