Delays in Passport Printing Leaves Over 800,000 Waiting

A delay in government funding for a crucial passport printing machine has left more than 800,000 people in Pakistan waiting for their passports, creating a significant backlog. The Passport and Immigration Department, despite generating around PKR 50 to 51 billion annually, has been unable to meet the growing demand due to the unavailability of a new advanced machine.

According to department officials, the Finance Division has yet to release the PKR 2.9 billion required for the machine, despite the tender being finalized and an order placed. This bureaucratic delay has slowed down the department’s processing capability.

Currently, they are receiving 72,000 to 75,000 applications daily but can only process 22,000, leaving a large number of applicants in limbo. Director General of Passport and Immigration Mustafa Jamal Qazi addressed the situation, stating that around 700,000 to 800,000 passports have been issued, but the backlog continues to grow as new applications flood in daily.

The department remains hopeful that if the funds are released promptly, the new machine could become operational by next month, doubling their current production capacity to 40,000 to 42,000 passports daily.

Officials stressed that resolving this issue soon is critical, as import restrictions and other bureaucratic challenges continue to hinder operations. They aim to clear the backlog by November or December, providing relief to those waiting for machine-readable and e-passports.