The Pakistani Government made an important announcement recently regarding a radical change in the way the passports will be issued. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi clearly instructed the new Director General of Immigration and Passports regarding the need to adopt digital technology for the purpose without any further delay. This will ensure that the entire process becomes much easier and more convenient for all the applicants.
New system to bring efficiency and transparency
The authorities hope that the new system would greatly save time by cutting out unnecessary paperwork that has always led to long queues in the passport offices. It would also make the whole process easy to track online and reduce trips to the regional offices.
The Interior Minister emphasized the need to upgrade outdated systems to more modern means of doing things in order to serve the people better.
According to sources, the reforms entail the digitization of passport application and delivery processes not only in Pakistan but also abroad.
Real-time monitoring already in place
Recently, Pakistan introduced an innovation called “SHIKRA,” which lets citizens monitor their passport applications live. The innovation is being used by the country to assist applicants regarding their applications. As for the paperless initiative, Pakistan will be joining many other nations implementing electronic passports, including chip-based passports.
The majority of the citizens have welcomed the news since it has been known for many years that passport applications were always followed by delays and repeated submissions.
The innovation comes as one of several steps taken by the government towards digitalization of its services.
