Web desk: Citizens have been given some good news as Director General of Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, announced that the passport backlog has been brought down to zero in Pakistan and across the world.
He called it a major success for the department.
The announcement came during the visit of Bangladesh High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain to the Passport Headquarters.
He toured different sections, reviewed the passport production process, and was briefed on the latest facilities.
A passport backlog happens when a large number of applications remain unprocessed for an extended period, causing long delays for applicants.
Such backlogs often arise due to administrative delays, technical problems, limited resources, or sudden surges in demand that overwhelm the system and leave many applications pending.
According to DG Passports, the High Commissioner was informed about modern lamination techniques, upgraded security features, and the easy online services now available for overseas Pakistanis.
He was also told about the department’s progress in using artificial intelligence to improve production.
Iqbal Hussain praised the reforms introduced for overseas Pakistanis and showed keen interest in the use of AI in passport production.
He remarked that reducing the backlog to zero in such a short time was “a major achievement” and reflected the strength of Pakistan’s modern system.
Before this advancement, earlier this year, the Pakistani passport offered visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 32 countries, according to rankings released by Henley and Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory firm.
At that time, Pakistan was placed 100th among 199 countries, marking a slight improvement in its global standing.
The update came alongside a travel agreement between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Both countries had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for mutual exemption of entry visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports, aiming to ease travel requirements for specific categories of travellers.
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