Swift passport backlog clearance in Karachi ordered
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The Passports and Immigration (I&P) Director General has directed the authorities to take immediate steps for clearing the backlog of passport applications in Karachi, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
According to I&P sources, the authorities have whittled down the backlog of passports received from all over the country by half, to 300,000.
Earlier, the backlog of passports was up to 600,000.
In the last few days, the backlog has been reduced due to the increased production capacity and longer passports printing times.
Passport offices across the country have been dealing with an emergency situation during past few days as a result of rush and applications.
Authorities detailed that 400,000 visa applications are normally received each month, but over the past three months, that number has increased to 700,000.
DG Passports issued instructions to authorities to eliminate all backlogs as early as possible. Consequently, the citizens experienced a little delay in receiving their passports.
Immigration and Passports officials expressed regret for the trouble the delay had caused the people.
Reporter: Samar Abbas