Backlog Cleared in Major Cities for Passport Issuance: DG Immigration and Passports
ISLAMABAD, (NH): Director General of Immigration and Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, announced that the backlog in passport issuance across major cities in Pakistan has been successfully cleared.
In a statement, DG Qazi expressed gratitude to citizens for their patience, acknowledging the delays in passport processing. He mentioned, “The delays in passport issuance were a challenge we embraced. Our resources, especially for printing, were limited.”
He elaborated that while 65,000 passports are processed daily, the printing capacity was only 23,000 per day. However, the situation is expected to normalize within a month with the arrival of new printers. “Once the new printers are operational, the passport issuance process will return to normal,” Qazi assured. He added that priority was initially given to individuals from major cities who frequently travel abroad.
Qazi further stated that the backlog in major cities like Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore has been eliminated. Additionally, passports for over 24,000 overseas Pakistanis who applied online have been delivered.
Moving forward, the focus will shift to addressing the backlog in smaller cities. “We are now concentrating on clearing backlogs in smaller towns after resolving the issue in larger urban centers,” he said.
Regarding the delays, Qazi explained that the ongoing revamp of the passport offices contributed to the slower issuance process. However, a new dashboard system and advanced printers are set to improve efficiency. “The procurement of the new printers is complete, and we are now awaiting delivery,” he confirmed.
