Passport applicants in Pakistan’s major cities face significant delays, with standard processing time now taking 2.5 to 3 months.
Long queues are now a common sight at passport offices in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad. Even with the payment of urgent fees designed to speed up the process, relief is minimal, and delivery delays can still be up to a couple of weeks.
The primary cause of the delay is linked to a recent shortage of lamination paper, compounded by a surge in the number of citizens applying for new passports.
Officials at passport offices acknowledge a notable increase in applications, leading to a backlog in the printing process. The delayed procurement of lamination paper has further complicated matters. Citizens, including those who claim to have secured job opportunities abroad, are expressing frustration over the extended wait times, fearing potential job losses due to delays in obtaining necessary travel documents. Authorities are being urged to intervene and expedite the passport delivery process.
Compounding these concerns, some agents are taking advantage of the situation, extorting money from desperate applicants by promising expedited passport delivery.
This situation is occurring amidst a recent system outage, highlighting the strain on the passport issuance system. Applicants are concerned that such disruptions are becoming a regular occurrence.
