Tag: Ministry of Interior

  • Why aren’t you getting your passport?

    Why aren’t you getting your passport?

    Numerous complaints have been filed against the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, citing prolonged waiting periods for passport issuance, leading frustrated applicants to seek intervention from the federal ombudsman.

    Responding to the increasing complaints, Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi acted on Monday by dispatching an inspection team comprising senior officials to assess the situation at the passport office and identify the reasons for the delays.

    During the inspection, the administration of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports explained to the visiting team that the delay in printing passports was due to the unavailability of lamination paper.

    They assured the team that the backlog would be swiftly cleared as they now had an adequate supply of lamination paper.

    The inspection team recommended that the administration ensure timely procurement of lamination paper in the future to prevent a recurrence of the issue.

    They also advised the administration to adhere to the prescribed timeframe for passport issuance and, in cases of late delivery, refund the fees charged for urgent passport processing.

    Simultaneously, the Federal Ombudsman directed the secretary interior to comprehensively assess the functioning of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports to ensure more efficient service delivery in the future.

    The inspection team discussed in detail the entire process of issuing passports to ascertain the causes of inordinate delay and breakdown of efficient delivery of services in the Passport Office.

    The team also interviewed many people who had come to get their passports in the Passport Offices located in the G-8 and G-10 sectors in Islamabad.

    The team was informed by the applicants that they had been visiting the Passport Office to collect their documents for many months and their visas had expired in the meantime.

    The inspection team on arrival at G-10 Passport Office observed hundreds of applicants waiting to collect their travel documents. The lack of proper seating arrangements was causing further agony to the visitors.

    The inspection team will submit its report based on its recommendations for the consideration of the Federal Ombudsman within one week.

  • Temporary pause on 100-page passports in Pakistan, e-passports introduced

    Temporary pause on 100-page passports in Pakistan, e-passports introduced

    The government of Pakistan has ceased the issuance of 100-page passports, a decision confirmed by the passport office. This change, while causing temporary inconvenience, was announced in a statement by the passport office, which expressed its regret for any disruption.

    Previously, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, operating under the Ministry of Interior, initiated the issuance of e-passports from passport offices nationwide, following Islamabad’s lead. In June, the federal government introduced these electronic passports.

    As outlined by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, the fee for a 36-page passport, valid for 5 years, is set at Rs9,000, with an urgent e-passport available for Rs15,000.

    For a 72-page e-passport, the standard fee is Rs16,500, and the urgent fee is Rs27,000. A 36-page passport, valid for 10 years, will cost Rs13,500 under normal processing, while the urgent fee is Rs22,500.

    For a 72-page passport valid for 10 years, the regular fee is Rs24,750, and the urgent fee is Rs40,500. These new fee structures went into effect on August 16, while the fees for standard passports remain unchanged.

  • Muharram 9, 10: Mobile services suspended in multiple areas to ensure safety

    Muharram 9, 10: Mobile services suspended in multiple areas to ensure safety

    On July 28, mobile services were suspended in several parts of Pakistan in observance of Ashura (Muharram 9), as part of precautionary measures taken by the authorities to maintain peace and avoid any potential untoward situations during this significant religious event.

    In Islamabad, the Ministry of Interior requested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to enforce the suspension of mobile services not only on Muharram 9 but also extend it to Muharram 10 and 11.

    As per the directives, mobile service remained unavailable in sectors G6 and G7 from 1 pm to 10 pm on Muharram 9. Additionally, in Sector 10-I and adjoining areas, the services were blocked from 6 pm to 6 am on the following day.

    On Muharram 11, mobile phone services were suspended in Shah Allah Ditta from 2 am to 7 pm, and in the areas surrounding Noorpur Shahan/Bari Imam, the suspension was in effect from 12 pm to 7 pm.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources from the provincial home department informed Geo News that mobile services would remain suspended in 14 districts on Muharram 9 and 10, including Sadar, Pishtakhara, Hassan Ghari, inner city Peshawar, Mardan, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohat, Hangu, and Bannu. The mobile service suspension continued until 10 pm on these days to ensure a peaceful Ashura observance.

    Similarly, local authorities in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, decided to suspend mobile services on Muharram 9 and 10 to prevent any potential disturbances during the religious event.

    Additionally, the provincial government of Balochistan had already imposed a ban on pillion riding in the Quetta division from Muharram 1 to Muharram 12 (July 28 to August 8) as an added security measure.

    In Karachi, the PTA had previously announced a partial suspension of mobile services in some areas until Muharram 10 (July 29). However, the suspension was extended to Muharram 8 and was expected to remain in effect on Muharram 9.

    Moreover, in Lahore and Sindh, authorities enforced a ban on pillion riding during the observance of Ashura on July 28.

    It’s important to note that despite the temporary disruption of mobile services, landline and cable net services continued to operate without interruption.

    These measures were taken to ensure the safety and security of the public during the important religious commemoration of Ashura on July 28, 2023.

  • Are Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar coming back to Pakistan?

    Are Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar coming back to Pakistan?

    The federal government has directed the Ministry of Interior for the renewal of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s passports, reports Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai for Geo News.

    The report came after Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the premier following the ouster of former PM Imran Khan from power.

     Pakistani High Commission in London has also been directed to start work on the renewal of the passports of both Nawaz and Dar, suggests the news report.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo was granted an eight-week bail on medical grounds in October 2019, and, he was allowed to travel to London for treatment for four weeks. However, Nawaz never returned and is still in London.

    In September last year, PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come to Pakistan this year. He added that those who disqualified Nawaz also realised that there was no option except to have him back.

    Latif, while speaking during Geo News programme ‘Aapas Ki Baat’, said that Nawaz Sharif is expected to return to Pakistan after Eid.

    Latif further said that after coming to Pakistan, Nawaz will face the cases against him.

    “He [Nawaz Sharif] will face the courts and rule of law, but we expect neither should anyone should be treated as ladla [favourite] nor should anyone have to face brutality,” he added.