Tag: passports

  • Children of divorced couples to have names of both parents on passports

    Children of divorced couples to have names of both parents on passports

    Pakistani passports are going through a number of transformations and the recently proposed one is the inclusion of the names of both the mother and father if the child’s parents are divorced.

    Geo’s Azaz Syed shared that the proposal is under consideration. In case of divorce or separation, the woman’s passport will be made in the name of the father. Previously, it was reported that that a married woman must have her husband’s name on her passport as per law and if the woman is divorced a box will be introduced to have her former husband’s name.

    For children with divorced parents, the names of the parents will be entered in the passport.

    It is also revealed that the Ministry of Interior will take the final decision to amend passport rules while Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Law are considering the proposal of amendments to the rules.

    Azaz’ sources at Ministry of Home Affairs say that after the amendment of the rules, passport software and boxes will have to be updated. The federal government will decide on the proposals after consultation with all stakeholders.

  • Having trouble with renewing your passport? There’s a WhatsApp number you can contact for help

    Having trouble with renewing your passport? There’s a WhatsApp number you can contact for help

    The Department of Immigration and Passports has released a phone number and WhatsApp number for complaints and awareness on the issuance or renewal of passports.

    Afzal Nadeem Dogar’s report in Geo states that the Director General of Immigration and Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, explained that due to his efforts, the issuance of passports is going on as usual. However, if the public has any problems, they should call phone numbers 0519107072 and 0519107072 to register their complaints or get information.

    According to DG Immigration and Passports, in case of delays in receipts or printing of passports, citizens should send a photo of their passport token receipt to WhatsApp number 03368566685 so that their complaint can be redressed.

    To read more: Why aren’t you getting your passport?

  • 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.