A pause in government funding for a vital passport printing machine has left over 800,000 people in Pakistan waiting for their passports, creating a massive backlog. Despite developing around PKR 50 to 51 billion annually, the Passport and Immigration Department is struggling to fulfill the rising demand due to the absence of a new, advanced machine.

Also Read: Experience Hiking at Lakeshore City Islamabad KPK

Officials from the department shared that the Finance Division still needs to release the PKR 2.9 billion required for the machine, even though the tender has been finalized and the order has been placed. This bureaucratic delay has delayed the department’s ability to process passports.

Currently, the department receives 72,000 to 75,000 applications daily but can only process 22,000, leaving many applicants stuck in the backlog. Director General of Passport and Immigration, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, clarified that while around 700,000 to 800,000 passports have been issued, the backlog is growing as more applications keep coming in.

The department expects the new machine to be operational by next month if the funds are released soon. This would allow them to double their production capability to around 40,000 to 42,000 passports daily.

Officials highlighted that solving this issue quickly is important, as import restrictions and other challenges are slowing down operations. They seek to clear the passport printing backlog by November or December, relieving those waiting for machine-readable and e-passports.

For more news and updates, visit the Al Sadat Marketing Website.