LAHORE - Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid surprise visits to the NADRA Centre Kot Abdul Malik and Passport Office Shahdara on Monday to review services being provided to citizens. At Kot Abdul Malik, the minister found the centre was closed due to renovation, while citizens waited in long queues outside two mobile vans due to an internet outage. NADRA staff informed him that the outage had disrupted operations. Citizens also complained about lack of proper guidance on the helpline. Mohsin Naqvi listened to public grievances on the spot and issued directions for their immediate redressal. He instructed officials to restore internet services without delay and make the Kot Abdul Malik centre fully operational at the earliest. He stressed that directing citizens to other centres for CNICs was unacceptable. During his visit to the Passport Office Shahdara, the interior minister was briefed about delays in passport delivery. Citizens also raised concerns about prolonged waiting periods.
Expressing displeasure at the presence of piles of files and paperwork, Mohsin Naqvi ordered complete digitisation of records and directed that passports must be delivered within the stipulated time frame. He further emphasised that citizens should be able to obtain passports from any centre without being forced to shuttle between offices. He added that a policy is being prepared for issuance of passports to children whose fathers are working abroad.