KARACHI: Pakistan has extended until Sept. 25 a deadline for Umrah pilgrims departing from Karachi to obtain digitally verified vaccination certificates, a senior health official said on Monday, after airport authorities sought more time to implement the new system.

Saudi Arabia requires Umrah pilgrims to meet vaccination requirements that vary according to travelers’ countries of origin and health risk, while Pakistan is introducing a system linking vaccination records with its national identity database to make certificates digitally verifiable.

The new system, integrated with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), was due to become mandatory for passengers departing Karachi after Sept. 14.

“The deadline has been extended until Sept. 25 and manual vaccination certificates will remain valid until then,” Dr. Syed Murtaza Shah Bukhari, focal person for Border Health Services Pakistan, told Arab News.

The extension follows a request from the management of Jinnah International Airport, Pakistan’s busiest international gateway, to defer implementation until at least Oct. 1, citing concerns over coordination among agencies.

“Implementing this directive without sufficient notice, operational alignment and multi-agency coordination poses severe operational risks at JIAP,” Acting Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Qasim said in a letter to the airport health officer.

Qasim said additional time would allow authorities to finalize a “practical, passenger friendly implementation strategy in coordination with all stakeholders.”

Border Health Services said Karachi would be the first Pakistani airport to introduce the integrated digital certification system before it is expanded to other international airports and border entry and exit points.

The change affects only how vaccination status is certified and does not introduce new vaccination requirements, the department said. Existing requirements will continue to depend on a traveler’s destination, route and category of travel, while current certification procedures will remain in place at other Pakistani airports until the digital system is introduced.