RAWALPINDI: In a bid to facilitate the masses, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) — in line with the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — is all set to open passport counters at its offices in 30 tehsils across the country, according to a notification issued on Sunday.
The premier, on March 1, directed to ease the process of CNIC and passport acquisition for the citizens.
Chairing a meeting in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz directed to set up passport counters at Nadra offices. He further said that all the projects approved for the establishment of passport offices should be established in the existing offices of Nadra.
It is pertinent to mention here that the “passport counter” facility will be provided in those tehsils or sub-tehsils only where there is no passport office.
As per the details, the passport counters at the Nadra offices will be set up in different areas, including in 12 small cities of Lahore region, 2 in Karachi region, 6 in Multan, 2 in Sargodha, 4 in KP and 2 in Islamabad.
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi today, Director General Passport Yawar Hussain said that the one-window passport counters at Nadra will be operated by the Passport and Immigration Department.
He added that the special counters at the Nadra offices are aimed at facilitating citizens and streamlining the passport application process.
"Nadra will charge Rs1,000 per passport in addition to government fees," the DG said informing about the fee-related details for the new passport counters.
Hussain refuted the veracity of news about all Nadra offices issuing passports from June 10.
By establishing passport offices in these districts, the government will ensure that citizens can easily access passport-related services without having to travel long distances.
In November last year, the DGIP launched an online passport-fee app enabling millions of citizens to pay their fees without having to stand in bank queues.
The service, launched under the 'Passport Fee Asaan' initiative, was one of the several other facilities to be launched by the government in the upcoming months.
The online payment facility was previously available for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, and was later scheduled to be launched in Karachi.
However, the ministry activated the facility across Pakistan prior to its proposed launch in the financial capital.
Regarding the online procedure, citizens were to receive notifications via e-mail and a text message after successful payment of the fee, which they must show as proof at the passport office.