Pakistan has agreed in principle to phase out conventional passports and fully adopt e-passports as part of a wide-ranging reform agenda aimed at modernising immigration services and strengthening safeguards against document fraud.
The decision was reached during a high-level meeting held at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi today. During the briefing session, Director General of Passports and Immigration Muhammad Ali Randhawa apprised the minister of ongoing and planned reforms in the passport issuance system.
The minister was informed that the full transition to electronic passports is expected to substantially curb forgery and other illegal practices associated with travel documents. He stated that applicants opting for premium processing services would be charged revised fees corresponding to the upgraded service standards.
Officials further confirmed that groundwork for the introduction of passport home delivery services-both domestically and internationally-has been completed. The facility is expected to be launched shortly, enabling applicants to receive passports at their registered addresses.
Separately, authorities announced that a cashless payment mechanism will be implemented at passport offices across the country starting July 1, aimed at streamlining transactions and reducing reliance on manual fee collection.
In addition, the government has approved the migration of online passport applications to the Pak Identity platform, in a move designed to enhance digital integration and improve user accessibility.
The Interior Minister also instructed relevant officials to expedite the finalisation of a policy framework for business passports in consultation with the Federal Board of Revenue, directing that the matter be completed at the earliest.