The government has extended passport services to operate around the clock in Karachi and Lahore.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that at least one passport office in both Karachi and Lahore will be operational 24/7 to ensure passport services are accessible at all times. This decision, made for the convenience of citizens, will commence on May 7 at Karachi’s Regional Passport Office, Awami Markaz Sharea Faisal, and Regional Passport Office, Garden Town in Lahore.
The security official announced the availability of passport services around the clock in a post on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. He emphasized that this measure would enhance accessibility to passport services throughout the day. "To enhance public convenience and facilitate ease, at least one passport office will be open 24/7 in both Lahore and Karachi! This will ensure easier access to passport services for everyone," the minister stated on the platform.
It is worth mentioning that the interior minister recently suspended passport officials due to a rise in complaints regarding bribery and corruption within passport offices. Additionally, last year, passport authorities encountered a scarcity of lamination sheets, crucial for the security features of passports, resulting in delays in issuing travel documents. According to a passport official, these lamination sheets are imported from Germany, and the high volume of daily passport applications further exacerbated the situation.