In an alarming turn of events, Pakistan’s Passport and Immigration offices are facing a new crisis: a critical shortage of ink. This problem compounds the already existing issue of lamination paper shortages, further hampering the issuance of both normal and urgent passports.
Sources from within the department informed a leading news platform that the ink supply has been completely depleted, rendering the offices incapable of printing any passports at all. This situation threatens to bring the passport issuance process to a complete standstill if immediate action is not taken by the department’s senior officials.
The current crisis follows closely on the heels of the lamination paper shortage, which has already delayed passport printing. Without both ink and lamination paper, the offices are unable to meet the demand for passport renewals and new issuances, leaving many citizens in a state of limbo.
Insiders attribute the ongoing chaos to gross mismanagement and incompetence at the upper levels of the department. They also indicated that the underlying cause of these supply issues is linked to the plans to transform the Directorate of Passport and Immigration into an autonomous authority. This transformation, aimed at providing the director general with full control over the budget and decision-making processes, appears to have diverted attention and resources away from essential operational needs.
Instead of addressing the critical shortages of ink and lamination paper, the Directorate reportedly spent around Rs. 60 million on office renovations. This misallocation of funds has exacerbated the crisis, leaving the offices ill-equipped to serve the public effectively.
The director general’s push to elevate the Directorate into an authority is seen as an effort to consolidate power and gain more control over the department’s budget, akin to the role of Principal Accounting Officer in other ministries. However, this shift in focus has led to significant operational neglect, with dire consequences for passport issuance.
The ramifications of these shortages are widespread. The passport office has already failed to deliver passports on time, both for routine and urgent requests. This has particularly affected overseas Pakistanis, who have expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction with the delays.
During a recent visit to London, the Interior Minister was confronted by complaints from the Pakistani diaspora regarding the persistent delays in receiving their passports. In response, the minister directed the passport office to expedite its services for overseas Pakistanis. However, without addressing the fundamental supply issues, these directives are unlikely to bring about any meaningful improvement.
The ink shortage, combined with the lamination paper issue, highlights a severe lapse in planning and resource management within the Directorate. Immediate intervention is required to replenish the ink supplies and ensure that the necessary materials are available to resume normal operations.
In the meantime, the passport and immigration offices are struggling to cope with the demand, leaving many Pakistanis in a state of uncertainty regarding their travel plans. The situation calls for urgent action from the higher authorities to rectify the mismanagement and restore the office’s ability to function effectively.
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