Islamabad : A high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State Talal Chaudhry on Thursday approved a series of key reforms aimed at improving public convenience in the passport issuance system.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the processing time for ordinary passports has been significantly reduced from 21 days to 14 days, marking a major step toward faster service delivery.
He noted that the initiative is part of broader efforts to modernize the passport system and enhance its efficiency nationwide.
The minister also announced that a fully cashless payment mechanism will be implemented across all passport offices, completely eliminating cash-based transactions.
He set a 15-day deadline for the rollout of this digital system, stating that removing cash payments would help curb the influence of middlemen and improve convenience for applicants.
During the meeting, the proposed Business Passport category was also reviewed, and the Interior Minister directed relevant authorities to finalize its framework without delay.
The session further approved measures to strengthen the passport home delivery service, with instructions to make doorstep delivery more dependable, efficient, and user-friendly.
Mohsin Naqvi also stressed the need for establishing a dedicated Passport Authority, saying it would improve institutional performance and enhance public service delivery.
Officials briefed the meeting that the reduced 14-day processing time for normal passports has already been formally implemented.
The meeting was attended by the Interior Secretary, the Director General of Immigration & Passports, and other senior officials.
