MARDAN, Sept 8: Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that machine readable passports will not only simplifying the process of foreign travel for professional people, workers and students process but who also enhance the stature and image of Pakistan abroad.

Addressing a meeting of notables and elders after inaugurating a passport office here

on Saturday, the interior minister said the government

was aware of the fact that more and more people were trying their luck abroad due to lack of employment and educational opportunities in the country, and added that the government was doing its best to provide people with better travelling facilities.

He said the new passport office would facilitate locals in acquiring machine readable

passports made with modern technology and universal credibility.

Mr Khan said the computerised passports would filter out terrorists and illegal immigrants.

He urged the people to take full advantage of the new facility as non-computerized passports would be unacceptable internationally after 2010.

He praised efforts of the authorities concerned for establishing the new passport office in a short span of time.

He directed the staff to

give equal treatment to all citizens.

All suitable arrangements, including posting of women staff member had been made at the office, he added.

He informed the meeting that new passport offices would soon be established at Timergara, Hangu, Chitral and Buner.

Highlighting other development projects, the federal minister said the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway M-I was expected to be inaugurated by September 30.

Responding to criticism of the Pakistan-Afghan jirga, the minister said that the negotiating committee formed during the jirga would try to engage the Taliban in a meaningful peace process and hoped that the atmosphere of tension in the region would cool down soon.

Earlier, DG immigration and passport Mian Khalid Habib said that the 31st passport

office of the country had been inaugurated at Mardan and soon 15 more offices would be established in various other cities.

More than 400,000 computerised passports had been issued so far and by 2010 all passports would be computerized, he added.

He said that a computerized identity card with a picture

and a solemn declaration of

nationality was required for

the new machine readable passport.

He said the passport offices were contributing 6.5 billion rupees in revenue to the national exchequer each year.