Islamabad:
Authorities have issued over 13 million passports in the last two years, including 130,318 to the overseas Pakistanis via online service, as the country witnesses an increase in demand for this vital travel document, according to the annual performance report from the Directorate of Immigration and Passport.
According to the report, the Directorate has worked around the clock to clear the backlog and provide quick service to the citizens. It said the total number of Pakistani passports issued to the people has reached 232 million.
The data showed that the authorities have issued 3.4 million passports annually in the last 17 years. However, there has been an increase in demand for passports in the last two years. As a result, the issue increased to 6.7 million passports annually. For the past 16 years, the Directorate collected a total of RS295.7 billion as a passport fee. In the last two years, the amount has doubled to RS40 billion annually. Last year, the department issued 53 Pakistani citizenship certificates, 4,447 relinquishment certificates and a naturalization certificate.
The report says the Directorate has upgraded its infrastructure and introduced modern security features. It included 32 new passport counters all over the country and around the clock’s passport supply facility in all major cities in the country.
Ten modern passport printers and 6 laminators have been purchased for timely printing of passports, while an e-Gate system is introduced on passports across the country linked to e-Pass. Passport app has also been updated. Over the past year, the passport department has been built according to modern requirements. The department is obliged to provide easy services to Pakistani citizens around the world, DG -Pas Mustafa Jamal Qazi said.
