ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: Machine readable passports will be issued by five regional passport offices across the country from Monday (Oct 25). A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting presided over by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao here on Friday.

Applicants for new passports would no longer be required to fill in forms and bring photographs with them. Requirements for the machine readable passport will be the computerized national identity card, its photo copy and original bank deposit receipt of the prescribed passport fee.

All the data of the applicant will be entered into the system on the spot and the digital photograph will be taken without any charge. The urgent passport will be delivered in five days and while the ordinary machine readable passport in 12 days.

Addresses of the regional passport offices, which will issue the new passports, are as under:

1) Aabpara Market, Islamabad.

2) Sector A-3, Phase 5, Hayatabad, Peshawar.

3) 4-A, Sher Shah Block, Garden Town, Lahore.

4) Awami Markaz Shahrah-i-Faisal, Karachi.

5) Patal Bagh, opposite Children Hospital, Quetta.-APP