DG Passport restructures Punjab zones to improve services

ISLAMABAD: In a move aimed at improving public convenience, Director General of Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi has announced a new administrative structure for passport services across Punjab.

According to the DG, all zones in Punjab have been reorganized, and four new sub-zones have been established under the Central and Southern Punjab regions.

In Central Punjab, Lahore and Gujranwala Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) will now function as new sub-zones. Similarly, in Southern Punjab, Multan and Bahawalpur RPOs have been designated as sub-zones.

The restructuring is intended to ensure more efficient and timely passport services for citizens, said Mustafa Jamal Qazi.

He added that the creation of these sub-zones will significantly improve passport-related operations across the province.

“We are utilizing all available resources to ensure the timely issuance of passports to the public,” he asserted.

Ranking

Pakistan’s passport is placed at 96th number on the Henley Passport Index 2025, according to the latest global rankings released by Henley & Partners.

In the latest quarterly update of the Henley Passport Index, created by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, the US — which held the No. 1 position back in 2014 — has slipped down to the 10th place in the rankings.

It’s the lowest position ever for the US in the 20-year history of the index, which tracks the global freedom of movement for holders of 199 passports to 227 countries and territories around the world, using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

And because Henley counts multiple countries with the same score as a single spot in its standings, there are actually 33 countries that outrank the US on the list.