E-Passport for Pakistanis to be launched next year

Pakistan’s federal authorities planned to issue e-passport facility by next year, as the world’s digitalization accelerates. The decision was made during a meeting in Islamabad, according to reports.

The decision was made in Islamabad after a meeting presided over by Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed. The secretary of the interior, chairman of NADRA, DG Passport, and extra DG FIA all attended the meeting.

The development is being hailed as a significant step towards removing all obstacles in the current manual procedure and making it easier for Pakistanis living overseas to file online applications.

According to the report, digitizing records will considerably improve the speed of identifying systems, simplify the passport control system, and pave the door for service automation. E-passports will also assist airport staff and officials in completing travel process quickly and comfortably.

On the front page of the e-passport, two photographs of the passport holder will appear.

The newly suggested e-passports will have a biometric chip with the resident’s personal information, such as fingerprints, pictures, and other data. Every e-passport will have a microchip that will aid in the verification of the individual’s identification.

In February, the government stated that all visa applications will be processed through an online visa portal, reducing the manual process time allowing citizens to apply for visas in a secure and convenient manner.