The federal government’s Passport Rule Reform allows citizens to apply for passports from any city in Pakistan. According to sources, this new measure aims to streamline the passport application process and make it more accessible nationwide.
Under the revised rules, passport fees can be paid at any branch of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) across the country. The Ministry of Interior has forwarded the summary of these amendments to the cabinet for approval. Once the cabinet greenlights the proposal, the new regulations will come into effect.
This move follows Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar’s recent address to the National Assembly on August 6, 2024 where he highlighted the persistent delays in passport issuance. The minister assured that the delays would be addressed by the end of September with the installation of new machinery and software, which is expected to enhance daily passport issuance capacity from 26,000 to 60,000.
The new system is anticipated to not only resolve the current backlog but also improve overall efficiency in passport processing.
