Tag: passport

  • Passport delivery delayed due to shortage of ‘lamination paper’

    Passport delivery delayed due to shortage of ‘lamination paper’

    People waiting for their new passports will have to wait a bit longer. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passport has reportedly run out of lamination papers for new passports.

    As per Samaa, sources have said that the relevant authorities did not take timely measures to ensure a sufficient supply of lamination paper. Last week, there was no improvement in the supply chain, and there is now a fear that the printing and delivery of new passports will be affected across the country.

    One of the immediate consequences of the lamination paper shortage is an expected increase in the duration of passport delivery. For instance, the delivery of passports with a normal fee will likely be extended to approximately one month. This delay poses significant challenges for applicants across the country, especially those with urgent travel plans.

    Despite the alleged non-availability of lamination paper, the passport department continues to accept new applications, further fueling concerns that the number of pending passports will surge due to printing problems.

    As of now, the passport department has not issued an official statement on the matter, leaving many in the dark about when the shortage of lamination paper will be resolved and how long the delays will persist.

    The shortage of lamination paper is causing substantial disruptions in passport issuance, and it is vital for the authorities to swiftly address this issue and keep the public informed about their efforts to resolve the problem. The impact of this situation on individuals urgently needing to travel for various reasons underscores the urgency of resolving the issue promptly to minimize inconvenience for applicants.

  • You won’t get your ‘normal passport’ in 10 days anymore

    You won’t get your ‘normal passport’ in 10 days anymore

    New guidelines have been notified by The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) regarding the issuance of travel documents, stating that a normal passport will now be issued in 21 days which was earlier processed in 10 days, as per Geo News.

    The DGIP noted that criminal elements are trying to undermine the Pakistani Passport and the department observed illegal use, which has made it difficult to issue a passport on time, the directorate mentioned without elaborating further on the matter.
    As a result, the passport-issuing authority has increased caution and scrutiny in the process.

    However, there’s no change in the timeline for urgent and most urgent passports which are issued in 5 and 2 working days respectively.

    The DGIP also advised people to visit relevant passport offices between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., urging people to cooperate with the directorate, adding that in case of any difficulties related to obtaining a passport, they must file a complaint in the Citizen Portal.

    It’s worth noting that in April of this year, the delivery times for all three passport categories—normal, urgent, and fast-track—were reduced to 10 days, 4 days, and 2 days, respectively.

  • You can’t get 100-page passports now

    You can’t get 100-page passports now

    The government has announced a temporary suspension on the issuance of passports with 100 pages. A statement issued by the Passport office expresses regret for the inconvenience and clarifies that this decision is part of the Directorate General (DG) of Immigration and Passports’ plan to introduce electronic passports (e-passports) nationwide.

    The transition initially began in Islamabad and has since been extended to all passport offices across the country following the federal government’s introduction of e-passports in June.

    As of August 16, 2023, new fee schedules have been implemented for e-passports, while fees for standard passports will remain unchanged.

    Here are the updated fee details for e-passports:

    1. For a standard 36-page passport valid for 5 years, the cost is set at Rs. 9,000.
    2. An urgent e-passport option is available for Rs. 15,000.
    3. A 72-page e-passport for regular processing will cost Rs. 16,500.
    4. Urgent service for the 72-page e-passport is priced at Rs. 27,000.
    5. If you opt for a 36-page passport with a 10-year validity, the normal fee is Rs. 13,500.
    6. The urgent service for this passport type costs Rs. 22,500.
    7. Additionally, a 72-page passport with a 10-year validity will incur a standard fee of Rs. 24,750, with an urgent processing fee of Rs. 40,500.

    The government’s decision to temporarily suspend the issuance of 100-page passports is in line with their efforts to streamline passport services and introduce more secure electronic passports to enhance the travel experience for Pakistani citizens.

  • Which famous airport is going to be passport-free?

    Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce a passport-free facility for travellers next year, media reports have confirmed.

    Changi Airport is one of the busiest and most beautiful airports in the world, playing host to 100 domestic and international take offs daily.

    Communications Minister Josephine Teo stated in the parliament that Singapore Changi Airport is also soon to introduce automated immigration clearance, allowing passengers to travel out of the city without a passport, using only biometric data.

    This would make Singapore one of the few countries to introduce automated and passport-free immigration clearance

    Biometric technology and facial recognition software are already being used to some degree at immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport.

    The Minister of Communications, however, clarified that passports will be required in other countries for which passengers must keep their passports nonetheless.

    Apart from Singapore, Dubai is among the countries using facial recognition and fingerprints instead of passports at airports and so is Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and Delhi.

  • Pakistani passport is 4th weakest in the world

    Pakistani passport is 4th weakest in the world

    According to Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory company, the Pakistani passport is the fourth weakest passport in the world.

    Pakistan is at the 100th position among the 227 countries assessed on the index. The determination is based on the number of destinations where Pakistani citizens can visit without a visa.

    According to the report, Pakistani residents had access to 35 countries with an on-arrival visa until January this year. Now the number has decreased, and Pakistanis can visit only 33 countries with an on-arrival visa.

    On the other hand, Singapore has the most-coveted passport in the world, with Singaporeans being able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 with an on-arrival visa.

    Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria are the countries with the least travel privileges; the citizens of these countries can travel to 27, 29, and 30 destinations, respectively.

  • ‘Another lie of Faisal Vawda has been exposed’: PTI leader used expired passport to prove single nationality

    ‘Another lie of Faisal Vawda has been exposed’: PTI leader used expired passport to prove single nationality

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday remarked that another lie of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda has been caught as the court took up the former federal minister’s petition against a lifetime ban imposed on him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    A three member-bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik heard the petition.

    Justice Ayesha Malik remarked that the cancelled passport which the counsel was relying upon expired in 2015 but was shown to the RO in 2018.

    “When you get the new passport, the older one is stamped cancelled. How can a cancelled passport be evidence of renouncing the nationality,” she asked.

    To this, CJP Bandial said that the issue has become very serious.

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah then said, “Another lie of Faisal Vawda has been exposed”.

    The hearing was adjourned for two weeks after Faisal Vawda’s counsel, Wasim Sajjad asked for more time for preparation.

    At this, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said, “You will not get answers of these queries even after a week.

  • Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz received her passport on Monday after Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered that the passport be returned to her.

    She had surrendered her passport three years ago in order to get bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    “Alhamdulillah, my passport has been returned”, Maryam said in a tweet.

    “Due to the fear of my jalsas (rallies), fitna kept me in NAB for three months and in death cell in Kot Lakhpat Jail for investigation, but the case has not been filed to date”, she added.

    A three-member bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the case on Monday (today). During the proceedings, Maryam’s counsel Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz argued that his client had been granted bail after she surrendered her passport in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case but that despite the passage of a span of four years, no reference had been filed against her.

    Maryam, through her counsel, moved the fresh petition, arguing that in 2019, NAB had forced her to surrender her passport in this case, fearing that she would flee the country.

    Pervaiz also informed the court that the conviction in the Avenfield case could have caused difficulty in the return of her passport, but that the case has been closed.

    During the hearing, the federal government said that they have no objection to the plea. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor also said that his organisation has no objection to it. He added that they did not know whether the case came under their jurisdiction or not after the new amendments to NAB’s law.

    Last month, Maryam approached the court to get her passport released. She stated that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial, as she had surrendered her passport in accordance with the court’s order when she was arrested in 2019.

    The case:

    As per details of Chaudhry Sugar Mill’s money-laundering investigation, NAB in January 2018 received a Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) report describing suspicious transactions of billions of rupees under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

    After receiving the FMU report, NAB started an inquiry in October 2018 and found that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, the incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif, Abbas Sharif and family were shareholders in the company, along with foreigners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

    A probe revealed that investments in Chaudhry Sugar Mills from 2001 to 2017 worth billions of rupees were made under the guise of issuing shares for foreigners.

    Interestingly, later on, the same shares of the company were transferred back to Maryam, Hussain, and Nawaz Sharif on various occasions without any money paid to the said foreign business partners.

  • Maryam Nawaz wants her passport back

    Maryam Nawaz wants her passport back

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice- President, Maryam Nawaz, once again approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on September 7 for the return of her passport.

    In the petition, filed through Advocate Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz, Maryam maintained that “Retention of the passport for an indefinite period tantamounts to be violative of her fundamental rights of treatment in accordance with the law, life, liberty, right of movement and equal protection of the law.”

    Earlier, three judges had refused to hear the PML-N leader’s petition seeking her passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah. After much delay, the petition was withdrawn by the petitioner.

    Maryam in her petition further stated that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial, as she had surrendered her passport in accordance with the court’s order, when she was arrested in 2019. Maryam’s physical custody was remanded to an investigating officer for 48 days after being sent to judicial lockup. She was later given pre-arrest bail by the LHC.

    “There may not be any apprehension of abscondance or otherwise in view of the track record of the petitioner who notwithstanding a conviction order against her, voluntarily came back to Pakistan to surrender to the process of law while leaving behind her ailing mother on death bed,” the petition added.

    On August 8, 2019, when Maryam was visiting her father, Nawaz Sharif at the Central Jail Lahore, she was arrested in an inquiry initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and was barred from completing her visit.

  • iPhone 13 buyers will now pay Rs132,000 for PTA approval

    iPhone 13 buyers will now pay Rs132,000 for PTA approval

    The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has made it nearly impossible for Apple fans to get iPhones in the country by significantly raising the tax on the overall iPhone 13 series.

    It is worth noting that the PTA approval costs for the iPhone 13 have been raised at a time when the iPhone 14 is likely to be released at the beginning of next month. However, it is unclear what prices the PTA will set for the approval of newer iPhones.

    The following are the latest PTA approval rates for the iPhone 13 lineup:

    Apple iPhone 13 Mini

    Tax Payable:

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Apple iPhone 13

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Apple iPhone 13 Pro

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders.

    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Read more: 12 important things you need to know before buying a used iPhone

    These taxes must be paid within 30 days after importation if the phone is registered on a passport, and within 60 days if it is registered on the national identity card.

  • List of countries you can visit visa-free on your Pakistani passport

    List of countries you can visit visa-free on your Pakistani passport

    Pakistani passport currently ranks 109th according to Henley Passport Index 2022. Pakistani passport has consistently been in the bottom five during the past 10 years. Only Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan’s passports rank lower than Pakistani passports in 2022.

    However, having a Pakistani passport allows you free access to 10 countries and territories.

    Here is the list of countries you can visit without a visa:

    • Cook Islands
    • Micronesia
    • Niue
    • Vanuatu
    • Dominica
    • Haiti
    • Montserrat
    • St Vincent and the Grenadines
    • Trinidad
    • Tobago

    Read more–Pakistani passport fourth-worst in world, Japan, Singapore on top

    In addition to this, there are 23 other countries that allow visas on arrival for Pakistani passport holders. The list includes:

    • Palau Islands
    • Samoa
    • Tuvalu
    • Qatar
    • Cambodia
    • Maldives
    • Nepal
    • Timor-Leste
    • Burundi
    • Cape Verde Islands
    • Comoro Islands
    • Guinea-Bissau
    • Madagascar
    • Mauritania
    • Mozambique
    • Rwanda
    • Senegal
    • Seychelles
    • Sierra Leone
    • Somalia
    • Tanzania
    • Togo
    • Uganda