Long over due: Pindi’s new passport office becomes operational, finally

Offices to be set up in six provincial capitals including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

RAWALPINDI:

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Tuesday said Passports and Immigration Directorate would soon expand its new services to six provincial capitals including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan where passports would be delivered at doorsteps of the applicants.

He said the passport offices having latest equipment will be set up across the country to facilitate the citizens.

He also announced establishment of bank counters inside passport offices where bank branches are at a distance from passport offices.

Acquiring passport is a fundamental right of every citizen and the government is making all-out efforts to fulfil its duty in this regard, the minister assured.

He was talking to reporters after inaugurating the newly-constructed building of Regional Passport Office in Rawalpindi.

Constructed at a cost of Rs47.9 million, various facilities have been provided at the office including online tracking and SMS service, bringing it at par with the developed countries under which applicants could get information about the status of their applications.

Under the newly introduced system, one time visit of an applicant to the office is mandatory for giving photo and thumb impression, while the staff would be duty-bound to issue passport within the stipulated time.

The minister said the Directorate of Passports and Immigration’s performance has improved considerably that could be gauged from the fact it cleared backlog of 400,000 passports in six months.

The minister appreciated performance of Immigration and Passports Director General and his team for clearing all the backlog of passports and taking solid steps to facilitate the applicants.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2014.