To tackle ongoing passport processing delays, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has introduced ten new desktop passport printers to enhance output. According to ministry sources, these machines are being installed and should be operational by next week, potentially doubling the current printing capacity.
With daily demand at passport offices reaching 45,000 to 50,000 applications, existing equipment has limited daily output to around 20,000 to 22,000 passports, causing a backlog. Officials expect the new machines will reduce delays and improve processing efficiency nationwide.
Read more:As of 2024, Pakistan’s passport ranks 134th in the World Passport Rankings.
The Ministry of Interior expressed confidence that these upgrades would address public frustration with long wait times and streamline passport issuance. Earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi disclosed that around 45,000 to 50,000 new passport applications are submitted daily.
During a National Assembly session, Naqvi confirmed issuance delays, noting that the system, established in 2004, originally supported just 30 passport offices in Pakistan and ten foreign missions. Over time, these numbers have expanded to 223 local offices and 93 international missions.
