THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Passport woes’ (March 3) regarding delays in the issuance of passports to the applicants by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). I have my own tale of misery to tell. I am currently facing a problem caused by a specific office; the Executive Passport Office (EPO) in Karachi.

My application was submitted on Dec 13, 2023 (Token No 16091137080). My current passport was valid up to Aug 26, 2024. The delivery date given to me was 45 working days i.e., around Feb 13. At the time of submission, my old passport was still valid for more than eight months, but the EPO put a stamp on it that read, “Fresh passport has been issued in lieu of this passport.” This has made my valid passport useless for travel to countries for which I have a visa even as no fresh passport has been issued to me; not yet.

I understand that this is a problem caused by some incompetent, or at least negligent, official at the said EPO, as I have seen passports handled by other centres that have not put any such stamp on the old passports.

The higher Nadra authorities should intervene, and issue my passport on a priority basis because I am suffering because of official incompetence. Also, this unnecessary stamp should be discarded for all future applicants at all centres.

Naheed Iqbal
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2024