Summary:
- Pakistan is set to overhaul passport rules, allowing applications from any city and fee payments at any National Bank of Pakistan branch.
- The proposed changes aim to ease the application process and address current delays.
- The new system could significantly increase the daily passport issuance capacity.
The Pakistani government is proposing significant changes to passport rules to make the application process more accessible. According to sources, citizens will soon be able to apply for a passport from any city across the country, rather than being limited to their local area.
In a bid to further simplify the process, passport fees can be paid at any branch of the National Bank of Pakistan, a shift designed to make it easier for people to complete their applications. The Ministry of Interior has already submitted the summary of these amendments to the cabinet for approval.
This move comes in response to growing complaints about delays in passport issuance.
On August 6, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar promised that new machinery and software would address these issues by the end of September.
The new system is expected to increase the daily passport issuance capacity from 26,000 to 60,000, helping to clear the existing backlog of applications.