The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly had directed the Ministry of Finance to provide the required funds to the Immigration and Passport Department within seven days to ensure timely issuance of passports.
The PAC expressed serious concern over delay in passport issuance. The Immigration and Passport DG informed the committee that the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) usually provided 15,000 passport copies every day, but currently, only 5,000 copies were being provided due to non-payment of dues to the PCP.
An officer of Passport office said that urgent passport was being delivered within five working days and it was not being delayed, while ordinary passport was being delayed by two to three months. A staffer of Abbott road Passport Office seeking anonymity said that Government was not increasing staff but only offices were being increased. Both offices of Passport and Immigrations in Lahore were being run under staff. In the meanwhile the Governor Punjab Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood visited passport and immigration office garden town to get his passport issued on Monday.
An office bearer of Passport office said that governor visited passport office with his wife and got issued diplomatic passport. He remained about 20 minuets in office and staff of passport office processed his passport. Tight security was ensured in and around the passport office till the time governor stayed inside. Visitors of passport office gathered around the governor and demanded the increase in passport offices and number of staff members of the Passport offices. The governor Punjab assured solving their problem on priority basis.
