Islamabad:
The authorities have issued more than 13 million passports in the past two years, including 130,318 to the Pakistanis abroad via an online service, while the country is at an increase in the demand for this vital travel document, according to the annual performance report of the Immigration and Passports Department.
According to the report, the management worked 24 hours a day to erase the backlog and provide rapid service to citizens. He said the total number of Pakistani passports issued to the people reached 232 million.
The data has shown that for 17 years, the authorities have issued 3.4 million passports per year. However, a wave has been observed in the passport request in the past two years. Consequently, the program increased to 6.7 million passports per year. Over the past 16 years, management has collected a total of 295.7 billion rupees as passport fees. Over the past two years, the amount has doubled at 40 billion rupees per year. Last year, the ministry issued 53 certificates of Pakistani citizenship, 4,447 renunciation certificates and a naturalization certificate.
The report indicates that management has improved its infrastructure and introduces modern security features. It included 32 new passport counters across the country and an installation of 24th out of 24th passports provision in all the major cities of the country.
Ten modern passport printers and 6 laminators were purchased for timely printing of passports, while an electronic gate system is introduced on passports through the country linked to electronic passports. The Passport application has also been updated. In the past year, the passport service has been built in accordance with modern requirements. The Department is committed to providing easy services to Pakistani citizens from around the world, said DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi passports.
