In an alarming development, Pakistan’s Passport and Immigration offices are facing a severe ink shortage, adding to the woes already caused by a lack of lamination paper. This new crisis has brought the printing of both normal and urgent passports to a grinding halt.
Sources from within the department informed a leading news platform that the ink supply has been completely depleted, making it impossible for the offices to print passports. This issue, coupled with the previous lamination paper shortage, threatens to bring passport issuance to a complete standstill if immediate action is not taken by the department’s senior officials.
The ongoing operational disruptions stem from what insiders describe as gross mismanagement and incompetence at the upper levels of the department. The crisis is further exacerbated by plans to convert the Directorate of Passport and Immigration into an autonomous authority. This transformation aims to grant the director general full control over the budget and decision-making processes, similar to the autonomy enjoyed by Principal Accounting Officers in other ministries. However, this reorganization appears to have diverted focus and resources 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. 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 higher authorities to rectify the mismanagement and restore the office’s ability to function effectively.
