Passport issuance faces glitch in Pakistan: Here's latest update

ISLAMABAD - The issuance of Pakistani passport remained suspended on Wednesday across the country for over two hours.

A glitch prompted the closure of the system and sources said the system connected with the NADRA database suddenly ‘collapsed’ due to a technical fault which resulted in the suspension.

The applicants had to wait for hours to apply for the travel document which irked many as the system could not upload the applicants’ credentials.

The suspension ended after the system was properly integrated with the NADRA database, easing the pain of applicants.

The closure came days after the Director General of Immigration and Passports revised the delivery time for the passport in the backdrop of multiple reasons including comprehensive vetting by the immigration authorities. 

The department confirmed in a social media post on Monday that a normal passport’s delivery will take up to 21 working days, while an urgent passport will take 5 days; the passport processed through the fast track system will take 2 days.

Previously, applicants could receive their passports in 10 days for delivery in the normal category, while it took four days for the urgent category and two days for the fast-track applicants.

The department also clarified that the applicants can apply for the passport from 8 A.M to 01 PM and on Fridays the offices would be open till 12 Noon.  

The department has also stated that for complaints related to any matter concerning passports, the Prime Minister's Citizen's portal should be contacted or the applicant should contact the helpline (051-111-344-777).

Although the department has cited 'need of thorough examination' as the reason for the delay in issuing passports, the increasing number of applicants is also making it difficult for the department to process the cases on time.

In earlier media reports, it was also quoted that the passport offices are receiving applications in droves as more and more citizens want to leave the country for a better future considering the economic woes faced by many of them.