The federal government has taken note of the significant delays in the issuance of Pakistani passports, a matter of considerable concern for applicants, as reported by News.
Sources indicate that there are currently over 800,000 pending passport applications awaiting printing.
However, efforts are underway to address this backlog by acquiring new machinery and lamination paper, with the expectation that the backlog will be resolved soon.
At present, the Passport and Immigration authorities are printing 20,000 to 25,000 passports daily, while receiving an influx of 40,000 to 45,000 applications per day.
To tackle this issue, tenders have been issued for the purchase of printing machines and e-passport machines. Additionally, international tenders have been released for the acquisition of lamination paper.
Reports from March 30 highlighted the unusual delays faced by passport applicants, with over 550,000 individuals experiencing delays of two to three months in obtaining their passports.
Sources suggest that the Passport and Immigration Department encountered challenges in providing machine-readable and e-passports on time.
Furthermore, a significant number of Pakistanis intending to undertake Hajj and Umrah have been affected by these delays.
In response, passport authorities attributed the delays to shortages of ink and lamination paper. However, they have assured that with the arrival of these essential items, all pending passport applications will be cleared by June.
