ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has approached the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to swiftly clear a consignment of ink cartridges to help reduce the massive backlog of undelivered passports to citizens.

In a letter to the FBR, the directorate said the vendor had already delayed the consignment, which will now arrive at the Islamabad International Airport on Sunday.

The authority said it has “exhausted” its current stock of printing ink and if there is any delay in the clearing of the consignment, it would “lead to a national crisis”.

“It is therefore requested that this Directorate General may be allowed to get the above referred consignment of Production Consumable on deferred payment basis, from custom to avert any crises, in the public interest,” the letter stated.

The passport directorate highlighted that due to the non-availability of funds or delay in processing claims pertaining to customs duties and taxes, relevant authorities do not clear consignments in time, which delays passport production operations.

The directorate has given an undertaking to pay customs duties and taxes on the consignment within 15 days.

The delay in the dispatch of printing ink has significantly hampered the passport printing process, leaving customers — even those paying extra in the urgent category — to wait for months to get their passports.

Earlier this week, Director Ge­­n­eral of Immigration and Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior around 16.5 million passports were pending in the ‘normal’ category.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2024