The Pakistani government has implemented a new initiative to operate select passport offices around the clock in Karachi and Lahore, starting May 7.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the announcement, emphasizing the move aims to enhance citizen access to passport services regardless of the time.
Effective next Monday, the Regional Passport Office at Awami Markaz Sharea Faisal in Karachi and the Regional Passport Office in Garden Town, Lahore, will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Minister Naqvi shared this update on the social media platform X, noting that this change is intended to simplify the process for residents needing passport services.
This decision follows recent actions by Minister Naqvi, including the suspension of several passport officials amid rising bribery and corruption allegations within the department.
The passport service had also previously experienced delays due to a shortage of lamination sheets, essential for adding security features to passports. These sheets, crucial for the production of passports, are imported from Germany to meet the high daily demand from thousands of applicants.
