Passport Production Woes Plague Pakistan, Leaving Thousands Stranded

Pakistani citizens are encountering significant challenges in acquiring new passports due to a severe shortage of lamination paper across the nation, as reported by The Express Tribune on Wednesday. The lamination paper, crucial for passport production, is imported from France, resulting in a widespread scarcity of travel documents.

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The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P) confirmed the import dependency and highlighted the government's efforts to manage the crisis. Qadir Yar Tiwana, Director General for Media of the Ministry of Interior, assured that the situation would soon be under control, with a visible decline in the existing backlog.

The scarcity has left thousands, including students with impending admission deadlines, in a bind. Zain Ijaz from Gujrat faced a dream-shattering delay in obtaining his passport, jeopardizing his UK education plans. The Express Tribune revealed that individuals requiring passports for various purposes find themselves in a predicament with no immediate resolution.

Gul, a hopeful Dubai worker from a remote area in Punjab, lamented the mismanagement, claiming it cost him an opportunity to escape poverty. Similarly, Hira from Peshawar missed her student visa deadline for Italy due to the unavailability of a passport.

This passport production setback is not a new occurrence in Pakistan. In 2013, a similar halt transpired due to financial issues and a lamination paper shortage. Current applicants express skepticism, with Faizan and Amir from Karachi disputing the government's assurances. Faizan criticized the mismanagement, recounting a two-month wait without passport receipt, leading to canceled travel plans.

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Muhammad Imran from Peshawar shared his frustration, revealing misleading promises from the DGI&P. Despite assurances since September, his Umrah plans had to be canceled due to the lack of a concrete timeline.

The crisis extends to regional passport offices, where processing capacity has plummeted to 12 to 13 passports daily, compared to the previous 3,000 to 4,000. Officers, including Saeed Ahmed Abbasi in Karachi, refrained from providing a specific resolution timeline, leaving applicants uncertain about their passport status. As Pakistan grapples with this passport predicament, the government's commitment to resolving the crisis remains a focal point for many citizens caught in the bureaucratic crossfire.