The federal government on Thursday reduced the deadline for issuing passports and decided to introduce a cashless system at the passport office.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and State Minister Talal Chaudhry, the government on Thursday approved major reforms aimed at improving public convenience in the passport issuance system.
Naqvi announced that the delivery time for normal passports, previously 21 days, has now been reduced to 14 days. He said the move was part of a broader effort to modernize and streamline passport services across the country.
The minister further said that a completely cashless system would be implemented at all passport offices, thereby eliminating cash payments.
He set a deadline of 15 days for the complete transition to this system. “Ending cash payments will eradicate the agent mafia and provide greater ease to citizens,” he added.
The meeting also reviewed the progress made on the proposed category of business passport, with the Interior Minister directing officials to finalize its issuance mechanism at the earliest.
Additionally, the government has decided to make the passport home delivery system more efficient, ensuring that home delivery becomes smoother and more accessible.
The Home Minister stressed that the establishment of a dedicated Passport Authority is essential to strengthen the passport system and improve public service delivery.
During the briefing, officials confirmed that normal passports, which previously took 21 days to issue, will now be issued within 14 days.
The meeting was attended by the Interior Secretary, Director General of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports and other relevant officials.
