NADRA Mega Centres across the country now feature 24-hour passport counters, following the directives of Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi. Ten passport processing counters have been set up at centres in Karachi’s Nazimabad and Site areas, specifically at Siemens Chowrangi, offering citizens round-the-clock services.
Mustafa Jamal Qazi, Director-General of Immigration and Passports, announced that these 24-hour facilities will expand nationwide. The Islamabad office already operates non-stop, and similar services are now available in Karachi’s Awami Markaz and Lahore’s Garden Town.
The decision to extend passport services at NADRA centres alleviated congestion at the central passport office. This plan gained momentum during Mustafa Jamal Qazi’s recent visit to Karachi.
Additionally, during surprise visits to the 24/7 Passport Office at Awami Markaz and the NADRA Defence Mega Centre, Naqvi interacted with applicants and received positive feedback on the system’s efficiency.
Further enhancing service, NADRA will introduce a new facial recognition feature on January 15 at its centres and through its mobile app to aid citizens who face challenges with fingerprint biometric verification.
A consultative conference at NADRA headquarters will bring stakeholders from various sectors together to discuss advancements in biometric and identity verification systems. A NADRA spokesperson noted that the conference will address identity verification challenges and explore steps to enhance service delivery for regulators and citizens alike.
