New rules allow citizens to apply for passports from any city

ISLAMABAD: In a positive development, Pakistani citizens can now apply for passports from any city across the country irrespective of the residential address mentioned on their computerised national identity card (CNIC). 

The passport department made these changes after the federal government made amendment to the passport rules, allowing the citizens to get their passports from any city in the country.

A notification of amendment in the passport rules has been sent to the passport regional offices to facilitate the citizens, according to officials.

Directorate General (DG) of Immigration and Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi said the new decision by the federal government was made in light of the difficulties faced by the citizens.

An official statement said the citizens passports applications will not be refused if their residential address on CNIC is different from the area they are applying for the travel document.

Earlier in August, addressing prolonged delays in the issuance of passports leading to increasing complaints, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar informed the National Assembly that the issue would be resolved by the end of September after the installation of new machinery and software.

In response to a Calling Attention Notice regarding delays in issuing passports, the federal minister expressed optimism that the introduction of the new system would also help clear the existing backlog of passport applications.

He said that the new system will be installed soon which will increase the daily capacity for issuing passports from 26,000 to 60,000.