Govt decides to import new passport printing machines

The government has decided to import printing machines for publishing new passports, ending the delay issues that emerged in December 2023. 

The government has been taking effective measures to address the problems of making and renewing passports. 

The Passport and Imigration Department was ordered to prepare and send a requisition to the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Officials, the machines are expected to arrive in Pakistan by September. 

An official in the Passport and Imigration Department said that six desktops and two e-passport machines would be imported. 

The official added that the authorities were seeking machines that could print at least 1,000 passports per hour.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has been experiencing passport printing delays since December due to a lack of paper and old machinery. When the issue surfaced, the Interior Minister had termed the reasons behind the passport delays as "rumours." 

However, as time passed, it became evident that the denial was due to inefficiencies, which were the root cause of the passport issue.