Passport Woes Delays Affecting Over 550,000 Applicants, Ink and Paper Shortage Blamed

According to sources, over 5,50,000 passport applicants are facing two to three months of delays in the issuance of their passports.

Sources said that the Passport and Immigration Department has failed to provide machine-readable and e-passports on time. A massive number of Pakistanis planning to go for Hajj and Umrah are also severe delays in passport issuance, sources added.

In response, the passport authorities said that the delay occurred as they were out of stock of ink and lamination paper, however, after the arrival of both items all passports will be cleared by June. It is pertinent to mention here that the Record of the old passport office in Karachi turned into ashes after a fire broke out in the building.

According to details, a fire erupted inside the old Passport Office, located behind the old Post Office in Saddar. Getting the information, the fire bridge staff reached the spot and doused the fire after an hour-long struggle with the help of 5 vehicles and a snorkel.

The Fire Brigade officials said that due to the fire, all the records present in the record room had been burned, and a nearby old car had also caught fire.