The interior ministry could develop a system where all passport applicants can track their passports online.
RAWALPINDI: I happened to visit the passport office in Rawalpindi in connection with the renewal of my passport. I observed that although the overall working was somewhat satisfactory, there is a lot of room for improvement. Some suggestions to help citizens who wish to apply for a passport (whether a new one or renewal): The website of the Directorate of Immigration and Passports needs to be updated. It was last updated over two years ago and says that ordinary passports will be issued within 12 days whereas in reality, applicants are told that they will not get a passport before two months have passed. The website also lacks other information. It says that the fee deposit receipt and the original CNIC and its photocopy are required for the application. However, more documents are required on a case-to-case basis. For instance, I am a retired government servant and was asked to provide a copy of my retirement order or proof of my retirement. My daughter-in-law was required to attach a copy of the CNIC of her husband.
Furthermore, at the Rawalpindi office, applicants were standing all the way out on the road — surely, there needs to be a better arrangement. As for senior citizens being given preferential treatment, I can assure readers that no such thing transpired. It was only in the last stage, where the applicant is briefly interviewed by a senior passport official that I saw some preferential treatment for senior citizens. And one last suggestion: at the very least, the interior ministry could develop a system where all passport applicants can track their passports online. This would prevent several wasted trips to the passport office.
Muhammad Yasin
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2012.
