The Passport and Immigration Office (PIO) is clearing backlog of 0.2 million passports now that funds required for printing of booklets have been released. The funds were released after Interior Minister Rehman Malik personally took interest and contacted the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the passport aspirants. The delay in issuance of passports was causing hardships for applicants who had to wait for months to get their travelling documents delivered. When contacted, a senior official highlighted that the issuance of passports was delayed because the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC) reduced the supply of passport booklets due to non-payment of their outstanding dues. Revealing that the POI has been demanding funds for a long time, he said that the funds were only released after the interior minister personally contacted the Ministry of Finance. “Rehman Malik has now directed the passport office to settle outstanding accounts with PSPC and ensure early clearance of backlog,” he said.
