Pakistan to upgrade passports to prevent forgery
The government has decided to gradually discontinue machine-readable passports and transition entirely to e-passports, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who said the reform aims to enhance security, improve international compatibility, and streamline airport immigration procedures.
Chairing a review meeting at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters in Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the shift to electronic passports would strengthen document security and help eliminate fraud and forgery in the passport system.
“The complete transition to e-passports will end fraud and forgery related to passports,” he stated.
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Officials from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports briefed the minister on ongoing reforms and the implementation roadmap. The meeting, in principle, approved the transition to e-passports, although no final timeline was announced for the phase-out of machine-readable passports.
An e-passport is a biometric travel document that includes an embedded electronic chip storing the holder’s facial image, biometric data, personal information, and a unique digital identifier. The chip enables contactless verification at border control points and is compliant with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), allowing compatibility with global immigration systems.
Officials said the upgrade would enable Pakistani citizens to access e-gate facilities at airports worldwide, reducing waiting times and improving travel efficiency.
The meeting also approved plans to introduce a cashless payment system across all passport offices starting July 1, eliminating manual cash transactions at bank counters.
Briefing the minister, Director General Passports and Immigration Muhammad Ali Randhawa said preparatory work for home delivery of passports—both domestically and for overseas applicants—had been completed. The service is expected to launch soon as part of broader efforts to improve citizen convenience.
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Additionally, authorities confirmed that the national digital identity platform, Pak ID, will be integrated further to facilitate online passport applications and reduce processing delays.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also directed officials to finalize a revised policy for business passports in consultation with the Federal Board of Revenue at the earliest opportunity.
Source: Dawn