Lahore: Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has increased output by introducing ten new desktop passport printing machines to address ongoing delays in passport processing. Ministry insiders claim that the machines are installed and should be up and running by next week, potentially doubling the country’s printing capacity.
There is an extensive backlog because the current technology can only process 20,000 to 22,000 passports daily, despite the demand at passport offices being between 45,000 and 50,000 applications daily. Across the country, officials are hopeful that the new equipment will reduce delays and boost processing effectiveness.
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According to the Ministry of Interior, these improvements expedite the passport issuance process and allay public annoyance over lengthy wait periods. Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi disclosed that between 45,000 and 50,000 new passport applications are filed every day.
Naqvi verified passport issuing delays during a National Assembly session, stating that the system, which was only set up in 2004, at first managed ten foreign missions and 30 passport offices in Pakistan. These figures have increased to 223 domestic offices and 93 foreign embassies over time.
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The facility can only process 20,000 to 22,000 passports daily, though, because the infrastructure has not been modernized to match modern demands.