According to Mustafa Jamal Qazi, Director General of Immigration and Passports, the backlog of passports across Pakistan has been successfully cleared.
During a surprise visit to the Passport Production Department, the Directorate General reviewed the printing and issuing process and provided an update on progress.
A record 3,376,510 passports have been printed since July 1, including 776,451 in the normal category, 1,896,403 in the urgent category and 703,656 in the fast-track category, he noted.
DG passport appreciated the hard work and dedication of the production team who worked round the clock to meet the high demand and achieve this significant milestone.
As the backlog is now cleared, citizens are advised to collect their passports directly from regional passport offices without waiting for notification via message or email as the delivery process has been completed. DG said.
Qazi also emphasized that the timely issuance of passports will continue to provide convenience to the applicants in the further process.
Earlier, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had claimed that the long-standing backlog of passports had been completely removed.
Naqvi on Thursday inaugurated the newly built state-of-the-art Passport and Immigration Headquarters and Regional Passport Office in Islamabad to provide better services to citizens, with the Islamabad Regional Passport Office now operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Mohsin Naqvi announced a series of reforms and improvements to passport services nationwide at the launch ceremony. He said that 24/7 passport issuing services will soon be available at NADRA mega centers in 14 cities, which will ensure greater accessibility and convenience to the public.
The minister revealed that it was possible to completely eliminate the long-standing backlog in the processing of passports. “Citizens will now receive their passports on time,” he assured, adding that previously delays of up to half a year were common.
The inauguration ceremony also highlighted the minister’s vision for better service delivery.
Naqvi inspected the new reception, online services section, production center and data center and praised the improved facilities. He presented shields and cash prizes to employees who had demonstrated exceptional performance in passport production.
The minister also announced plans to set up model passport centers in Karachi and Lahore, further expanding the availability of state-of-the-art services across the country.
