Passport applicants face unusual delays 

Lahore: Applicants in Pakistan are experiencing significant delays in passport delivery, as the daily number of applications has surged from 24,000 to 40,000, causing hardships for those planning Umrah pilgrimages and employment opportunities.

Unprecedented delays in passport delivery have led citizens to voice concerns.

The normal passport delivery time has been extended to 30 days, urgent passports are taking up to 15 days, and even the fast-track option now spans over 5 days, a significant deviation from the usual 2-day delivery.

These extended waiting times for passport delivery are causing difficulties for citizens planning Umrah pilgrimages, seeking employment abroad, and pursuing international education.

Administrative sources indicate that the root cause of these delays is the unusually high influx of passport applications, surpassing the daily average by a considerable margin, reaching up to 40,000 applications daily.

To mitigate these delays, authorities have extended the printing hours to 24/7 without interruption, aiming to alleviate the growing backlog and ensure timely passport issuance.