Wafaqi Mohtasib Directs Refund of Differential Amount for Delay in Issuance of Urgent Passport

Lahore: The Wafaqi Mohtasib has directed the Interior Ministry to refund differential amount between the urgent and regular fees to all those applicants who had paid urgent fee but were not provided passport within prescribed period.

The decision has been taken in light of recommendations of the committee constituted by Wafaqi Mohtasib, Mr. M. Salman Faruqui, to inquire into the causes of delay in issuance of Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) in the country as well as in Pakistani missions abroad. The decision has been taken in consultation with and agreement of the Interior Ministry.

It may be recalled that there were a large number of persistent reports in the media that the citizens were facing great hardships due to inordinate delays in the issuance of Machine Readable Passports. They have been urging for reforms in the Directorate General of Immigration & Passport for purging it of corrupt practices and maladministration for expediting and making efficient the entire process from filing of application to the actual issuance of passport.

The committee, besides looking into the causes of delays in the process, also identified systemic deficiencies and made recommendations for their rectification through streamlining the MRP system. The committee after detailed consultations and deliberations has also issued a 500-page report on the passport imbroglio.