Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Monday removed the director and assistant director of the Lahore Passport Office over the rampant corrupt practices in the office. The interior minister visited the Passport Office in Garden Town and observed that no-holds-barred illegal practices were everywhere in the office with the citizens amassing a plethora of complaints in front of him, accusing the staff and passport mafia of minting money. Mohsin Naqvi talked to the citizens present in the office who piled up their complaints and showed some of the proof to the minister of the bad practices of the officials and agent mafia in the passport office. Citizens complained that everyone in the passport office was involved in demanding bribery and even charged a 'tax' for entering the building. They said getting a passport without a bribe was not possible otherwise the procedure will be hard and slowed down for the applicants.

The citizens apprised Mohsin Naqvi that he did an exemplary job during his tenure as caretaker chief minister and they have high hopes from him now that only he could fix this office. On this occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi asked the director to answer as everyone was complaining against his staff and agents. But, the director and his assistant could not answer any questions satisfactorily. Mohsin Naqvi said there is no question of taking money without the connivance of the staff. He said it is our responsibility to facilitate the citizens. After seeing the awful situation, the interior minister ordered to change the director and the assistant director of the passport office at Gardan Town and immediate departmental action against them.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan