ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has agreed to make a radical change in the design of its passports and to include a new look and improved security features for public, official, and diplomatic passports.
It is reported that the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has received the go-ahead from the Ministry of the Interior to implement the new passport design. Different colors and layouts will be used for each category of the redesigned passports, and they will also feature pictures of the landmarks of nature from the four provinces of Pakistan.
The new passports will be the first to update the personal data standards significantly, as they will also carry the mother’s name along with the father’s name for identity verification and security purposes.
Officials express that the redesign will enable a higher level of technological modernization and make Pakistan’s travel documents more compatible with international systems. At the earliest, the printing of the updated passports is to commence.
Pursuing such a step certainly resonates with Pakistan’s perpetual efforts to upgrade the security of documents, comply with international standards, and project the cultural heritage of Pakistan in a more attractive way.
ALSO READ: Pakistan loses $2.8 billion annually due to non-breastfeeding mothers
Public accounts subcommittee informed of massive passport theft
The meeting of the Public Accounts Sub-Committee of Parliament revealed that thousands of passports had been stolen from 25 passport offices across the country.
The meeting, chaired by the committee’s convener, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, featured a presentation by the Director General of Passports, Mustafa Qazi.
Mustafa Qazi reported that a total of 32,674 passports had been confirmed as stolen from various offices over the years, particularly from Abbottabad and other locations. He assured that these stolen passports have been blocked and will not be renewed.
Additionally, Qazi indicated that foreigners who had travelled from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia using the stolen passports have been apprehended by the Interior Ministry in Saudi Arabia, which has also deported Afghan citizens.
In response to the incident, both NADRA and the passport system have undergone complete digitalisation, making forgery much more difficult.
Convener Tariq Fazal Chaudhry expressed concern regarding the situation, stating that the misuse of stolen passports poses a significant threat to national security. He also inquired about the ratio of suspicious identity cards and passports.
The PAC sub-committee has directed the DG Passport to submit a comprehensive inquiry report on the issue so that further action can be taken.
