Passport delivery delays cause anguish among citizens

PESHAWAR: Despite a recent increase in fees and additional charges for urgent delivery, thousands of passport applicants in Peshawar find themselves unable to obtain their travel documents on time.

This delay, which has led to missed opportunities for travel, particularly for Umrah pilgrimage, has sparked protests.

The prolonged delay in passport delivery has stirred unrest among citizens, prompting calls for intervention from higher authorities, including the minister of interior and the director general of passports and immigration.

Citizens demand swift resolution of issues plaguing the Director General Office in Islamabad to ensure timely issuance of both regular and urgent passports.Over the transition from the previous caretaker government to the current administration, citizens have lodged numerous complaints with authorities. However, the perceived lethargy and negligence of the central passport office continue to squander citizens’ time and financial resources.

In light of these challenges, senior citizens in Peshawar advocate for the introduction of an online passport renewal system, sparing them the inconvenience of enduring long queues in extreme weather conditions.

Serious concerns persist regarding passport delivery across the country, exacerbated by rising inflation and perceived governance shortcomings at the federal level. While normal passport processing previously took around a month and urgent processing a week, delays have become more severe, leaving applicants waiting for several months.

The frustration among passport seekers in Peshawar has led to sharp criticism of the director general of passports and other senior officials for their apparent failure to address the issue. Even officials within the passport office express dissatisfaction with the director general’s performance, citing flawed policies that have contributed to a growing sense of discontent among staff members. Instead of alleviating their concerns, the top official’s actions have only compounded the problems faced by the passport office employees.