In a major administrative move aimed at enhancing services for citizens, the Directorate General of Passports has announced the creation of four new sub-zones in Central and South Punjab. According to a report, Director General of Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi initiated the restructuring to ensure the timely issuance of passports and improve overall service delivery. 

Under the new administrative division, Central Punjab will now have sub-zones under the Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) of Lahore and Gujranwala, while South Punjab will have sub-zones under the RPOs of Multan and Bahawalpur.  DG Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi said that the decision is designed to provide citizens with faster and better passport facilities. 

He emphasised that the move will improve administrative efficiency across the province, ensuring that resources are fully utilised to guarantee the prompt delivery of passports.  Qazi further stated that the initiative reflects Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring the dignified issuance of passports both at home and abroad. 

It is pertinent to mention here that on March 14, two new e-passport printers and six desktop printers from Germany arrived in Karachi to streamline the passport issuance process for Pakistani citizens.  Director-General of Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi visited the e-printers section after the arrival of these printers. A foreign technical team, which also reached Pakistan for the installation of these printers, was briefed about the installation process. 

On the occasion, the Director-General of Passports said that these printers have the capacity to print 1,000 passports in one hour.  DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi said that after the installations, the process of issuing passports will be further strengthened. He said that the best passport services are being provided to people around the world.  Last year, 10 new, modern passport printers were completed, resulting in a doubling of the Passport Department’s printing capacity. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)