Fast-track category passports’ backlog cleared

ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Interior Monday expressed concerns over delay in issuance of passports and strongly recommended giving the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports the status of an independent body with full administrative and financial authority.

It also advised the interior ministry to initiate necessary legislation before the next committee meeting. The meeting was held with committee chairman Raja Khurram Nawaz in the chair here at the Parliament House on Monday.

The Immigration and Passports director general informed the committee that latest equipment had been acquired to clear the backlog and facilitate public, promising that all pending applications would be processed by December 15, 2024.

The DG Immigration and Passports, while giving a briefing, said, “we continued efforts to get funds from the finance ministry throughout the year.” He said 20-year-old machines were being used for making the passports. Earlier, 75,000 passports were made daily, though the capacity was only 22,000 passports daily. He said now the department has 25 printers and the production capacity has increased.

He said the backlog had completely been cleared in the fast-track category, while there was a backlog of 170,000 in the urgent category, and it would be cleared in the next two to three weeks. He said two new e-passport machines were also coming. “We earned Rs50 billion last year, and Rs20 billion so far this year,” he disclosed.

He said, “We tried to form the authority, but the finance ministry opposed it. We are given a target, but we are not given funds; the committee should help us in the revenue sharing formula.”

The committee chairman said if the passport department was generating so much revenue, it should be provided funds also. He said the passport department should be made a separate authority, or it should be handed over to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Committee member Sahibzada Hamid Raza said “our students have been greatly affected due to delay in issuance of passports.” He said there should be any mechanism that passports could be issued quickly to students and patients.

Committee member Zartaj Gul regretted that the worth of Pakistan’s passport had gone down below Libya and Bangladesh. She said this year, the most embarrassing situation happened outside the passport offices. “I am the parliamentary leader of the party and I have been deprived of my passport. We ask you, you don’t even like to answer us. Who gives you orders to put our names on the ECL [Exit Control List],” she said adding that how many robbers’ names had been added to the ECL till date. “We are a nuclear power but unfortunately we do not have paper to print passports,” she said adding that “I want to perform Umrah, but I am being stopped from it.”

The DG Passports informed the committee Germany’s printers were the most modern in the world and 4,000 passports could be processed in an hour. “When I assumed office, there was backlog of 15 lakh; and we have ended that backlog,” he said and promised to reduce the backlog to zero by Dec 15.

The committee chairman said blue passports should be issued to members of the National Assembly till the next meeting. Discussing another crucial matter, all committee members opposed giving powers to the police on electricity theft issue. Officials told the committee that currently Rs1.8 trillion was to be recovered from the defaulters. Committee member Zartaj Gul said that people were being harassed in her constituency under the guise of checking electricity theft. She said the police should not have authority in matters of electricity theft.

Committee member Nabil Gabol said a water operator of the building was arrested in Karachi, who died in jail after three months. “This is an abuse of power,” he said adding that earlier cases of buffalo theft were registered, but now cases of electricity theft were being registered against people.

The law ministry officials stated that the police could take action on the request of the DISCOs officers. The committee chairman summoned the energy secretary for a briefing on the issue during the next committee meeting.

The IG Police Islamabad briefed the committee on the current law and order situation, performance related to special security duties, including visits of foreign dignitaries, delegations and security for residences of foreign diplomats.

IGP Islamabad Ali Nasir Rizvi got angry at tough questions by members during the meeting and harsh words were also exchanged. He said the police continued to prevent invasion of the federal capital and attacks on it.

The committee chairman stopped IGP from using words like invasion. It infuriated the police boss, who angrily asked: “Shouldn’t I answer the questions?”

At this, the committee chairman said had he not been in police uniform, he would have thrown him out of the meeting. But he was concerned about the respect of the flag on his uniform. The committee appreciated the security arrangements by the ICT Police for the SCO Summit.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Islamabad chairman briefed the committee on illegal and unauthorised housing scheme ‘North Ridge’ in Zone-III, ICT, Islamabad. In the meanwhile, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Section 4620), a government bill, was presented before the Standing Committee.

The committee deferred the Bill until its next meeting. Similarly, the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2024, a government bill, was discussed, and committee passed it.

The Pakistan Coast Guard (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Section 14A), another government bill, was also presented and deferred to the next meeting. The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2024, moved by Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, was discussed, and the committee passed the bill.