Passport department releases annual performance report

ISLAMABAD: The Directorate of Immigration and Passports has released its annual performance report, highlighting significant improvements in passport services across the country.

The report added that the department has provided round-the-clock services nationwide, with a total of 232 passport offices in Pakistan, eliminating the passport backlog and enhancing citizen convenience.

The number of passports issued annually has doubled in the last two years, with 6.7 million passports issued out of a total of 13 million in the last two years.

Earlier, 3.4 million out of a total of 55 million passports were issued annually in the last 17 years.

Furthermore, the report added that the department provided online passport services to 130,318 overseas Pakistanis in the last year.

The passport department deposited Rs. 295.7 billion in the government treasury over the last 16 years, with Rs. 40 billion deposited annually in the last two years.

The department issued 53 Pakistan Citizenship Certificates in the last year, it added. “The institution issued 4,447 renunciation certificates and one naturalization certificate last year.”

Moreover, the department upgraded its infrastructure, introduced modern security features, and established 32 new passport counters across the country.

Last year, passport counters were also provided in all provincial assemblies and bar councils, and 24/7 passport supply was provided in all major cities of the country.

An e-gate system linked to e-passports is being introduced nationwide to enhance security and efficiency, the report said.

In addition to that, the department disposed of 73,700 complaints against the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit.

DG Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, said that the Passport Department is committed to providing convenient services to Pakistani citizens around the world to meet modern requirements.