Pakistan
6.5 million Pakistani passports issued in 2023
DG Passports stated that the work is underway to transfer the current machine readable passport to e-passport for which the new system will be installed.
Karachi: Director General Passports Pakistan Mustafa Jamal Qazi said that 6.5 million passports have been issued so far in the year 2023.
He said that the e-passport will must be issued in Pakistan from the year 2027. All necessary arrangements have been completed in this regard.
Talking during the visit to Karachi Passport Office, DG Passports stated that the work is underway to transfer the current machine readable passport to e-passport for which the new system will be installed in the next six to seven months while e-passport will be mandatory in the year 2027.
Responding to a question, he added that a high-level task force is investigating 12,000 Pakistani passports issued to Afghans.
Mustafa Jamal Qazi further said that the matter of delay in the issuance of Pakistani passports has been resolved. Ample quantity of lamination paper required for passport printing has been procured after which issuance of passports has resumed.