The federal government on Thursday reduced the passport issuance period and decided to implement a cashless system at the passport office.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi and State Minister Talal Chaudhry, the government on Thursday approved major reforms aimed at improving public convenience in the passport issuance system.
Naqvi announced that the delivery time for normal passports, which was previously 21 days, has now been reduced to 14 days. He said the move is part of a broader effort to modernize and streamline passport services across the country.
The minister further stated that a completely cashless system will be implemented in all passport offices, eliminating cash payments.
It set a deadline of 15 days for the complete transition to this system. “Ending cash payments will eradicate the agent mafia and provide greater peace of mind to citizens,” he added.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the proposed Commercial Passport category, with the Home Secretary directing officials to finalize its issuance mechanism as soon as possible.
In addition, the government decided to make the passport home delivery system more efficient, ensuring that home delivery is more fluid and accessible.
The Minister of the Interior emphasized that the establishment of a dedicated Passport Authority is essential to strengthen the passport system and improve the delivery of public services.
During the briefing, officials confirmed that regular passports, which previously required 21 days to deliver, will now be issued within 14 days.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Interior, the Director General of the General Directorate of Immigration and Passports and other relevant officials.
