ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Immigration and Passport has decided to establish one window passport counters in National Database and Registration Authority offices in 30 densely-populated localities across the country.

The initiative is being taken to facilitate the residents of tehsils where passport offices are yet to be established and streamline the passport application process, an official told Dawn.

The one-window passport counters at Nadra will be operated by the Passport and Immigration Department. Nadra will charge Rs1,000 per passport in addition to government fees. The tehsils where one window counters are being established include Malir, Deepalpur, Daska, Pasrur, Nurewala, Chuniam, Shanghla Hills, Sharqpur, Faisalabad, Pindi Gheb, Sambrial, Kamoke, Tandliawala, Samundari, Safdarabad, Khanpur, Khan Garh (Muzaffar Garh), Khawaza Khela, Sher Garh, Chak Dara, Shringal, Umar Kot, Jampur, Pattan (Lower Kohistan), Pattoki, Kabirwala, Mailsi, Nowshera Virkan, Malikwal and Faizpur Khurd (Faizwal).

The official said that passport offices will also be established in the tehsils when the economic conditions of the country improve.

By establishing passport offices in these districts, the government will ensure that citizens can easily access passport-related services without having to travel long distances.

In November last year, the DGIP launched an online passport-fee app enabling millions of citizens to pay their fees without having to stand in bank queues.

The service, launched under the ‘Passport Fee Asaan’ initiative, was one of the several other facilities to be launched by the government in the upcoming months.

The online payment facility was previously available for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, and was later scheduled to be launched in Karachi.

However, the ministry activated the facility across Pakistan prior to its proposed launch in the financial capital. The official also made it clear that the directorate general of immigration and passports will continue to be the passport issuing authority, rejecting as baseless the rumours that Nadra is set to issue passports from June 10.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2023