Pakistan upgrades passport security features

Redesigned Pakistani passports now include advanced security features to help curb forgery and misuse, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports said on Wednesday.

The directorate detailed that new Pakistani passports will now include the mother's name alongside the father's name.

Visa pages of the new passports will also showcase printed images of historical landmarks from various provinces of Pakistan, reflecting the country's cultural diversity.

It added that the changes in the passport features are being made in accordance with the principles of "modernity and harmonisation".

It clarified that no other changes have been made to the existing passport format apart from the upgraded features.

Moreover, the printing of the new passport booklets has commenced following approval from the Ministry of Interior.

In July, DG Passports Mustafa Jamal Kazi shared that his department introduced cutting-edge AI-powered passport printing machines capable of producing up to 300 passports per hour, which would ensure fast passport delivery.

The country had procured six advanced passport printers, fully integrated with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) database, as the technology would transform the service delivery and avoid backlog issues.