Two passport offices to remain open round the clock

LAHORE – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered that one passport office in Lahore and another in Karachi will remain open all the time, day and night.

The announcement was made on Saturday and aims to make passport services more accessible to everyone.
Furthermore, by the implementation of this measure, the residents of Lahore & Karachi will be able to get passport service with different schedules and have enough time to complete the process. The location of these specific offices is yet to be revealed.

A few days ago, the minister visited the Passport Office in Garden Town. During his visit, he faced a troubling situation as civilians shared a difficult situation related to the passport office process.

Additionally, the people complained about the long queues, instances of bribery, the impact of mafia agents and backlog of applciations.

In this regard, the minister suspended passport office representatives over the rising complaints about bribery and corruption within the office.

As per media reports, during the previous month, the passport printing was delayed due to lack of lamination paper. The Department of Passport and Immigration had to reduce its daily production and prioritize urgent and e-passport requests to manage the shortage efficiently.

The Directorate of Immigration and Passports has frequently promised to resolve the backlog of pending passports, guaranteeing that citizens will receive their travel documents soon.

The rise in passport applications is due to the current economic condition of the country, prompting people to consider relocating to other countries to improve their lifestyles until the conditions get better.