The government of Pakistan has taken steps and lowered the passport issuance period to 14 days from 21 days. The announcement was made by the Interior Ministry in an important meeting in Islamabad, attended by the Interior Minister, Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, and the state minister for Interior, Mr. Tallal Chaudhry.
According to Naqvi, the shortened waiting time was an indication that the government was trying to improve its service delivery. In recent years, the issuance of passports had been experiencing increased demand. For example, there was a need for over six and a half million passports to be produced in 2023. Due to the increased demands, long queues and delays had become a regular complaint.
Shift to cashless payments to curb corruption
However, alongside this initiative, the Pakistan government has instructed all passport offices to shift to a completely cashless payment system in 15 days. The citizens of Pakistan have complained of having to pay extra money to the agents to expedite their applications.
Furthermore, the authorities are also trying to implement a business passport and enhance home delivery facilities
