Passport applicants in Pakistan get new facility

KARACHI: Two mega National Database and Registry Authority (NADRA) centres in Karachi have begun operations to provide citizens with efficient passport services, ARY News reported.

The two NADRA mega centres located at Siemens Chowrangi and North Nazimabad have five counters each for passport processing. Three counters will be dedicated to processing, one for distribution, and one for approval.

Citizens can now visit these centers 24/7 to renew their passports or apply for new ones.

The assigned staff started performing their duties at the counters with the official inauguration ceremony for both centers taking place next week.

Earlier, DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi claimed that, the backlog of pending passports across Pakistan has been cleared, during a surprise visit to the production unit.

The DG reviewed the printing and issuance process, highlighting that since July 1, a record 3,376,510 passports have been printed. These include, issuance of 776,451 passports in normal category, 1,896,403 were printed under urgent category and 703,656 were printed under fast track category.

DG Passports acknowledged the relentless efforts of the production team, which worked tirelessly without breaks to achieve this milestone.

Citizens are now advised to collect their passports directly from regional passport offices without waiting for notifications via message or email, as the delivery process has been completed.

Mustafa Jamal Qazi emphasized that the timely issuance of passports will continue to ensure convenience for all applicants.