Country’s three airports to get e-gates

Facility will save passengers travelling abroad from hassle of waiting in long queues

KARACHI:

It has been decided to install immigration e-gates at Karachi and two other international airports of the country – saving the passengers travelling abroad from the hassle of waiting in long queues.

According to sources, preparations are under way to install e-gates for immigration at the country three major international airports.

They added that a plan had been chalked out for this purpose at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport, and New Islamabad Airports.

Similar to developed countries around the world, the e-gates facility will be available at Pakistan’s three major airports as well.

E-gates, also known as electronic gates, are automated self-service barriers which use data stored in a chip in biometric passports along with a photo or fingerprint taken at the time of entering them to verify the passport holder's identity.

Passengers undergo biometric verification using facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, or a combination of modalities.

After the identification process is complete and the passport holder's identity is verified, a physical barrier such as a gate or turnstile opens to permit passage.

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If the passport holder's identification is not verified or if the system malfunctions, then the gate or turnstile does not open and an immigration officer will meet the person.

All e-gates require the use of an e-passport that is machine readable or an identity card.

Discussions are under way with the relevant companies for the installation of e-gates at the three airports.

Last month, Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration and Passport (DGI&P) commenced the issuance of e-passports across the entirety of the country.

Boasting over 20 advanced security features, the newly introduced e-passport encapsulates comprehensive records and travel details of the passport holder, enhancing security measures and data management.

The newly launched e-passports in the country are in compliance with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) standards.

According to the DGI&P’s website, Pakistan’s e-passport holders can benefit from the e-gate facility at all airports around the world. It will also help eliminate all the hurdles in the ongoing manual system and will aid Pakistani applicants to process online applications conveniently. “Since the e-passport carries out various forms of security checks, extending benefits to overseas Pakistanis will ultimately benefit the country,” it read.

(With input from our News Desk in Karachi)