KARACHI: The ongoing situation in the Middle East has caused a significant decline in passport applications across Pakistan, with offices in Karachi and Sindh seeing a 50% reduction in the number of applicants.
According to ARY News, passport offices in Karachi and other places in Sindh have reported that there has been a sudden fall in the number of applicants looking to apply for passports in the region. On a daily basis, the number of applications has dropped from 2,000 applicants per day in Karachi to just between 800 and 900 applicants, whereas other offices in other parts of Sindh experience between 1,200 and 1,500 applications compared to 3,000 earlier.
There are various reasons that have led to this situation; however, one of the main ones is the reduction in the number of work and tourist visas issued. Moreover, the total earnings for passport issuance have also been affected.
Sources have noted that with the falling number of visa applications, especially work and tourism, there are few people who opt to apply for a passport. Therefore, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passport, responsible for issuing Pakistani passports, has experienced such a trend.
Major reforms announced for passport and immigration services
Earlier, 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.
