Naqvi orders Lahore passport officials’ removal

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered the removal of the officer in charge of the Passport Office in Lahore’s Garden Town over complaints of poor service and negligence.

Naqvi visited the Garden Town Passport Office and found long queues of citizens waiting to obtain their passports. Several visitors approached the interior minister and complained about delays and problems at the office.

Citizens told Naqvi that they had arrived early in the morning but were still waiting. They said staff members were absent from several counters, while some people had been waiting for nearly four hours without their turn.

The visitors also complained about the alleged activities of agents outside the passport office. Some citizens claimed that they had paid agents Rs5,500 to get their work completed quickly. They said agents were openly demanding money from applicants in exchange for faster processing.

An elderly citizen also complained that he had been told to collect his passport that day. However, the office staff informed him that the passport had not yet been printed.

Taking notice of the complaints, Naqvi expressed serious anger over the situation. He ordered the removal of Deputy Director Shahzad Aslam, who was in charge of the Garden Town Passport Office, over negligence in performing his duties.

The interior minister also ordered the removal of the Deputy Director of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption unit in Lahore over the alleged presence of an agent network outside the passport office.

Naqvi issued the orders on the spot and directed the concerned authorities to take immediate action. He also apologised to the citizens for the difficulties they faced.

The interior minister said providing facilities to citizens was the government’s responsibility and duty. He assured the visitors that their complaints would be addressed and that steps would be taken to improve the passport office’s services.