On Monday, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi embarked on a scheduled visit to the Passport Office situated in the Garden Town area of Lahore. Prior to his arrival, reports had surfaced indicating rampant corruption within the department, a pervasive issue plaguing various sectors in Pakistan. Concerns were raised that passport processing was contingent upon bribery, with agents allegedly refusing to proceed without illicit payments.
Additionally, it came to the attention of the minister that significant delays, spanning up to four months, were hindering the timely issuance of passports.
Upon entering the premises, Naqvi launched an impromptu inspection, intending to ascertain the veracity of the claims.
His observations confirmed the troubling state of affairs within the office. Token machines, designed to streamline the process, were found to be non-operational, exacerbating the inefficiencies. Furthermore, at every stage of the passport application process, instances of bribery were reportedly rampant.
In response to these egregious findings, Mohsin Naqvi took decisive action. He promptly suspended both the director of the Passport Office for the Lahore region and the assistant director of the Garden Town office, holding them accountable for the systemic failures under their purview.
During his interaction with individuals present at the office, the federal minister was inundated with complaints regarding the prevalence of bribery.
From security personnel to staff members, allegations of corruption were widespread. Visitors lamented the significant delays in passport issuance, far exceeding the standard processing time of 15 days.
The prolonged wait, lasting four to five months in some cases, imposed severe hardships on applicants, exacerbating their difficulties.
In light of these revelations, Minister Naqvi pledged to address the pervasive corruption and inefficiencies plaguing the Passport Office. He reiterated his commitment to restoring integrity and expediency to the passport issuance process, ensuring that citizens are not subjected to undue delays or extortionate practices.
