By Qasim Shah
ISLAMABAD: While the extension of working hours at passport offices is a positive step, citizens say the government must urgently address a more serious problem: passport applications that remain pending or blocked for months in the name of security and other inquiries.
A number of citizens, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, complain that despite possessing valid and verified Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) issued by NADRA, their passport applications are subsequently held up for various verification procedures.
Citizens are questioning why, if there is a fundamental problem or legal objection concerning a person’s identity, it is not identified at the CNIC verification stage. They argue that when a citizen has an active CNIC and a verified identity in NADRA’s database, keeping a passport application pending indefinitely requires a clear and timely explanation.
The major concern is the prolonged duration of these inquiries. According to affected citizens, some cases are referred to the Special Branch, Intelligence Bureau or other relevant agencies, but no final decision is communicated even after eight, nine or ten months.
Citizens say every inquiry should have a clearly defined timeframe. If additional information or verification is required, the concerned agency should complete the process within that period rather than leaving applicants in uncertainty for months.
A prolonged passport hold can therefore affect jobs, studies, business commitments and family matters.
Citizens Demand Transparent, Time-Bound System:
Affected applicants have urged the Ministry of Interior and relevant authorities to introduce a transparent and accountable mechanism for passport inquiries. They have called for a tracking system showing which agency is handling a case and its current status, along with a fixed deadline for completing verification.
They also demanded an immediate review of cases pending for several months and better coordination among NADRA, passport authorities and security or investigative agencies. Where no specific legal objection or restriction exists, passports should be issued without unnecessary delay.
The government, they say, must ensure that the purpose of passport verification is to resolve genuine concerns promptly, not to leave citizens facing an indefinite administrative restriction.
Extending passport office hours may improve public access, but affected citizens maintain that meaningful reform also requires a faster, transparent and time-bound inquiry system so that no Pakistani is forced to wait for months without knowing when — or why — their passport will be issued.
