ISLAMABAD: The Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has given the newly assigned DG a task to make drastic changes to the Passport and Immigration Department.
According to ARY News report, the federal minister has asked the department to digitize its complete system throughout the country.
The newly assigned DG, Mohammad Ali Randhawa, has been told to make the process of obtaining a passport and immigrating entirely paperless. The minister further explained that public convenience should be the foremost thing when making changes to the new system.
Meanwhile, in connection with the above-mentioned report, a decision has been taken by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports about extending the office hours. The offices will now remain open for five days a week from Monday to Friday to help the citizens of Pakistan. This was done because, in an attempt to cut down costs amid the increasing tension in the Middle East region and conserve energy, the previous government had decreased office working hours to four days and only half of the employees had come to the office.
However, after taking power, the new government has decided not to let the citizens face any difficulty in obtaining their passports.
NADRA simplifies visa application and biometric verification with new App update
Earlier, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has launched the new and upgraded version of the Pak ID Mobile App, making the visa application and biometric verification process much easier.
As per a press release issued by NADRA and a video on the subject, this new version of the mobile application facilitates foreign nationals applying for a visa to visit Pakistan or overseas Pakistanis coming to Pakistan on different types of visas. Now, all applicants belonging to 193 countries may easily apply for a visa through the app.
There is no requirement for entering the name, passport number, and expiration date of the applicant manually as the passport photograph will enter these particulars in the form automatically upon uploading or capturing through the app.
The app’s homepage now has a dedicated section for biometric verification, making it more user-friendly. The features available include:
Verification of family relationships, vehicle transfers, inheritance, passport, firearm license, and proof of life for pensioners, all from the comfort of your home.
Facial recognition and fingerprint verification processes have been made faster and easier.
According to NADRA, users can update the Pak ID Mobile App via Google Play or the Apple Store to access these new features.
