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ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said e-passport facility has been introduced on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Speaking at launching of E-Passport ceremony, the minister said process of acquiring visa has been made easy and online and the people could get online visa in 191 countries.
He online visa was available in 191 countries and currently no visa case was pending with the interior ministry. He said corruption has totally been eliminated in visa process as earlier Rs 100,000 to Rs 150,000 per visa bribe was being taken.
The minister further said the validity of passport has also been extended from 5 to 10 years to facilitate the overseas Pakistani on same old fee on the directives of the prime minister. NADRA has started issuing succession certificate across the country and its credit also goes to PM, he added.
As many as 88 new NADRA offices were opened in various part of the country and every Tehsil headquarters has NADRA office, he said. He said ladies staff was recruited in NADRA offices of erstwhile FATA areas and Balochistan to facilitate the women of far flung areas.
The minister said drone service has also been launched in Islamabad which helped foil several terrorist activities. He said some 300 new parks have been established and renovated in the federal capital under the PM’s green and clean Pakistan Vision. Women Bazaars have been set up in the Capital to empower women folk, he added.
Earlier, Director General Immigration Islam Zeb briefed the participants about the feature of e-Passport. The e-Passport has 29 latest new security features and electronic Chip has been used in it, he added. He said e-Passport holder would take benefit of e-gate facility at all airports around the world.
