KARACHI, April 27: The National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) has claimed that the effective system of frequently producing over 9,000 machine-readable passports a day and the Passport & Immigration Department has issued over 1.7 million passports using the facility.

A Nadra spokesman, according to a press release, has refuted the allegations about inefficiency of Nadra's electronic machine-readable passports production system, and said that the technical officers at Nadra had asked for the transfer of the system to the Passport and Immigration Department through the 319 National Swift Registration Centres of Nadra functioning across the country.

This would help respond to any complaints, he said, adding that this also proves the falsehood of the reports being circulated by some vested interests to damage Nadra's image.

This approach would also offer almost 300 additional application centres countrywide and ensure issuance efficiency using the secure machine-readable travel document technology (MRTD).

Nadra not only developed the software for Pakistan's multi-biometric electronic machine-readable passport, but also designed the system that integrated its production process, he added.