Pakistan has decided to do away with conventional passports entirely and shift to a fully electronic system, as the government unveiled a broad package of reforms targeting document security, fraud prevention, and citizen convenience at a high-level meeting in Islamabad.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who chaired the session at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, said the e-passport transition would plug loopholes that enable fraud and forgery in travel documents while bringing Pakistan’s system in line with global benchmarks.
Among the other measures cleared at the meeting was a revised fee structure tying premium passport service charges to their actual cost of delivery.
On the convenience front, groundwork for a doorstep passport delivery service covering both domestic and overseas applicants has been wrapped up, with a formal launch expected shortly.
Beginning July 1, passport offices across the country will move to cashless payments, while online applications are to be shifted onto the Pak ID platform to streamline the end-to-end digital experience, APP reported.
The meeting also took stock of a proposed Business Passport policy, with Mohsin Naqvi instructing officials to conclude it promptly in coordination with the Federal Board of Revenue, balancing ease of business travel with regulatory safeguards.
