Pakistan: No New Passport As Shortage of Paper
The passport authority of Pakistan is unable to issue new & renewed passports due to the shortage of passport lamination paper. Find more details in our video!
According to the latest reports, thousands of Pakistanis are unable to obtain their new or renew their passports. Pakistan is unable to issue new passports in the country due to the shortage of passport lamination paper. According to Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P), passport lamination paper is imported from France and is a crucial component of passport production. The number of passports processed has dropped from 3000 - 4,000 passports per day to only 12 -13 per day. It is being believed that this shortage is caused due to the ongoing financial crisis in Pakistan. This scarcity of passports is causing distress to many Pakistanis who have plans to vacation, study, and relocate abroad. Many students who had enrolled in universities in the UK or Italy for higher studies were unable to travel to their universities because they did not receive their passports on time. The students expressed their frustrations by blaming the inefficiency of a government department. Mr. Gul, a resident of Pakistan’s Punjab province, told the local reporters, “I was all set to move to Dubai for work soon. My family and I were beyond ecstatic that our fortunes would finally change but the mismanagement of DGI&P seems to have cost me my golden ticket out of poverty and this country.” Many had to cancel their international vacation plans and have blamed it on DGI&P’s mismanagement. A senior officer of the passport office in Peshawar said that they have no idea when the situation will improve and that people may have to wait for another month or two to get their passports. Qadir Yar Tiwana from the Ministry of Interior, the parent ministry of DGI&P, said, "The situation will soon be under control, and passport issuance will continue as normal." and assured that the government is doing its best to resolve this crisis. However, this is not the first time that passport processing has been affected in Pakistan. In 2013, passport printing was halted due to the same lack of lamination paper and due to DGI&P owing money to the printers.
