Nisar directs heads of Nadra, passport office to improve public dealing locally and aboard

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed the heads of Nadra and passport offices to ensure “Right to Identity” of citizens living in Pakistan and abroad, issuing them CNICs and passport without any delays.

Chairing a high-level meeting of Interior Ministry officials and its attached departments, the minister took a stock of issues faced by expatriates in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States in relation to his recent official tour to these countries, an Interior Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

A large number of Pakistani community members living in the UK and US have conveyed their concerns to the interior minister about the hurdles faced by them for getting CNICs and passports.

Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asserted that expatriates are assets of Pakistan. These expatriates, he said, should not face any hardships while getting CNICs and passports in their respective foreign countries of residence.

The interior minister ordered chairman Nadra and Director General Passport to take immediate measures for improving public dealing and redressing public complaints locally and aboard to facilitate the process for giving “right to identity” to every Pakistani.

“Specifically service delivery of CNICs should be resolved on urgent basis in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington and other foreign countries,” remarked the minister for interior.

While reviewing the performance on audit reports of Nadra and passport offices in different parts of the country the Interior Minister warned that inordinate delays and slackness on part of the officials would not be tolerated.

Disposal of all such complaints should be quick, so the citizens feel privileged that there complaints and issues were duly taken up by the authorities concerned, noted the minister.

Talking about various issues faced by the expatriates, the minister has given a deadline for resolving the issues of CNIC including passport for Pakistani citizens living abroad.

The minister ordered to ensure elimination of role of agents across all the service delivery centers of Nadra and passport offices in Pakistan including at the stations outside Pakistan.

He said a strict action should be taken against the agents dodging the innocent citizens with zero tolerance approach.