Pakistan halts printing passport after it goes short of lamination paper
Pakistan citizens face problem in getting new passports as the country pauses printing due to shortage of lamination paper.
Islamabad: Pakistan citizens are grappling with difficulties in obtaining new passports as the country pauses printing it after facing a shortage of crucial lamination paper.
The lamination paper, an essential component in passport production, is imported from France, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P). This shortage has adversely affected thousands of individuals, particularly students, who had plans for international travel.
Speaking to media, Qadir Yar Tiwana, the Director General for Media of the Ministry of Interior, the overseeing ministry of DGI&P, assured citizens that the government is actively addressing the crisis. Tiwana stated, “The situation will soon be under control, and passport issuance will continue as normal.” He also highlighted a noticeable decline in the backlog within the department.
The scarcity of lamination paper has resulted in significant consequences for numerous Pakistanis, especially students with impending admission deadlines abroad. Some have attributed the crisis to what they perceive as inefficiency on the part of the Pakistani government.
An anonymous senior officer from the passport office in Peshawar disclosed that they can only process 12 to 13 passports per day, a significant reduction from the previous capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 passports.
This incident is not the first time Pakistan has faced such a passport-related crisis, with a similar situation occurring in 2013 when printing came to a halt due to financial issues and a shortage of lamination papers faced by the DGI&P.
Ms Kalinga