According to Mustafa Jamal Qazi, Director General of Immigration and Passports, the backlog of pending passports across Pakistan has been successfully resolved.
During a surprise visit to the passport production unit, the Director General reviewed the printing and issuance process and provided an update on the progress.
Since July 1, a record total of 3,376,510 passports have been printed, including 776,451 in the regular category, 1,896,403 in the urgent category and 703,656 in the express category, it noted.
The DG passport attested to the hard work and dedication of the production team, who worked continuously to meet the high demand and achieve this important milestone.
Once the delay has passed, citizens are advised to collect their passports directly from the regional passport offices without waiting for notifications by message or email, as the delivery process has been completed. DG said.
Qazi also emphasized that the timely issuance of passports will continue, with the aim of providing convenience to applicants in the future.
Earlier, Federal Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the delay in processing passports had been completely resolved.
Naqvi on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed state-of-the-art Passport and Immigration Headquarters and Islamabad Regional Passport Office with an aim to provide better services to citizens, and Islamabad Regional Passport Office now functions 24/7 days of the week.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mohsin Naqvi announced a series of reforms and improvements in passport services across the country. He stated that 24/7 passport issuance services will soon be available at NADRA mega centers in 14 cities, ensuring greater accessibility and convenience for the public.
The Minister revealed that the long-standing backlog in passport processing has been completely eliminated. “Citizens will now receive their passports on time,” he said, adding that delays of up to six months were previously common.
The opening ceremony also highlighted the Minister’s vision to improve service delivery.
Naqvi toured the new reception area, online services section, production center and data center and praised the improved facilities. He presented shields and cash prizes to staff members who had demonstrated exceptional performance in passport production.
The Minister also announced plans to establish model passport centers in Karachi and Lahore, further expanding the availability of world-class services across the country.
