Islamabad: According to a Sunday announcement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to open passport counters at its offices in 30 tehsils nationwide.
On March 1, the prime ordered a CNIC and passport simplification.
PM Shehbaz ordered passport counters at Nadra offices during a meeting in Islamabad. He added that Nadra should develop all passport office projects in its existing offices.
The “passport counter” will only be available in tehsils or sub-tehsils without passport offices.
The passport counters at Nadra offices would be located in 12 minor Lahore cities, 2 in Karachi, 6 in Multan, 2 in Sargodha, 4 in KP, and 2 in Islamabad.
Director General Passport Yawar Hussain told a press conference in Rawalpindi today that the Passport and Immigration Department will run Nadra’s one-window passport counters.
He noted that Nadra’s unique counters streamline passport applications for citizens.
“Nadra will charge Rs1,000 per passport in addition to government fees,” the DG remarked concerning new passport counter prices.
Hussain denied that all Nadra offices issue passports from June 10.
The government will create passport offices in these districts so citizens can readily access passport-related services without traveling far.
The DGIP launched an online passport-fee app last November, allowing millions of residents to avoid bank lines.
The government’s ‘Passport Fee Asaan’ initiative introduced the service.
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore had online payment, and Karachi will follow.
Before launching in the financial capital, the ministry activated the facility across Pakistan.
After paying online, citizens were to receive an email and SMS message to show the passport office.
