SIALKOT, Aug 3: The issuance of national passports on Tuesday remained suspended for the 16th day here at the regional office due to the prolonged non-availability of blank passport copies.

People of Sialkot and Narowal districts are facing a great deal of inconvenience because of shortage of copies. About a fortnight ago, the Sialkot regional authorities had stopped issuing passports to all urgent and ordinary applicants.

Expressing concern over the delay, the main trade bodies have urged the government to take notice of the situation and redress the grievances at the earliest. They said Narowal had been given the status of district in 1990. Since then, passports had been issued to the people of Narowal by the Sialkot regional office. They demanded a separate passport office at Narowal to reduce the burden at Sialkot.