ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan announced a new policy which enables women to add their father’s name to their passport applications, which officials consider an important advancement because it establishes women’s independent legal identity rights.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports issued a notification which described the reform under the Lahore High Court directive, which ordered the government to establish new systems through stakeholder consultations. The government was required to create updated systems which would enable the new system to be implemented.
The notification states that the reform enables women to exercise all of their economic, social and civic rights because it removes a critical barrier which had restricted their rights. The Government of Pakistan and UN Women have implemented this initiative as a model which demonstrates how gender-responsive services should be delivered.
The implementation of these changes occurred through Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarrar, while DG of Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi handled the software update process which enabled the new system to operate.
Officials declared that the new system provides a major achievement for women’s empowerment because it simplifies the process of obtaining official identification documents while maintaining legal recognition of their family relationships.
Important update for passport applicants, new timings, fees announce
Earlier, passport offices across Pakistan have announced adjusted operating hours and updated fee structures for various passport categories to facilitate the public during Ramadan.
According to an official notification, regional passport offices, executive passport offices, and passport processing counters will observe revised public service hours during the holy month, while administrative operations will continue as usual.
From Monday to Thursday, token issuance and public services will be available from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Regular office hours for standard passport services will remain unchanged, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
The notification aims to ensure smooth and efficient passport services while accommodating the needs of applicants observing Ramadan.
