'Pakistani labourers can now extend passport validity to 10 years on same fee'

ISLAMABAD: Terming as a gift from Prime Minister Imran Khan, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has announced an extension of the passport validity from five years to 10 years without any additional fee to facilitate the country’s labour community working abroad, especially in Middle Eastern countries.

Addressing the media after visiting the office of the directorate general of the Immigration and Passport in Islamabad, Sheikh Rasheed said, the new passport will be issued at the previous fee of Rs 3,000 and this decision will be implemented from January 1.

The minister clarified that the decision would not be applicable on ‘official and red’ passports as the facility was only meant for Pakistan’s labour class.

The minister said a new E-passport would be launched from April 28 next year and it would help maintain data on modern lines and improve the country’s image abroad.

The minister said an express service was being launched across the country under which home delivery of Passports would be provided to citizens. “The facility has been activated in Islamabad and will soon be available in Rawalpindi,” he added.

An SMS service had also begun from today (December 24) in a bid to inform passport holders six months before the expiry of their passports, he said.

He said the passport and immigration department was short of funds and assured that their financial matters would be resolved at the earliest.