Ministry of Interior is set to launch an internal crackdown against the department’s ‘black sheep’ in the next few days.
“We will save the public at large from the knavery of corrupt officials in the ministry,” Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters after inaugurating passport home delivery service at the Directorate General Of Immigration and Passports.
Khan said that he would not rest until he had crushed corruption in all the departments that fall under the Ministry of Interior.
“We will rout out all the mafias holed up in National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and passport office,” the minister said.
At the inaugural ceremony held at NADRA Headquarters, Nisar said that since taking charge as minister, he had endeavoured to bring innovations and reforms in the passport office and NADRA with the objective to facilitate general public, end long queues outside offices and to get rid of corruption and mafias from these departments.
“With regard to passport, an online service will also be introduced soon. An SMS service has already been launched by passport authorities not only to inform the applicants about status of their applications but also to get feedback and complaints,” the minister said.
The minister acknowledged cooperation of TCS and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and added that more than 380 branches of NBP would collect passport fee.
“Initially the passport home delivery system is being introduced in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. During the next four months the system will be extended countrywide,” Khan said.
He said that people would be informed about delivery of passport through SMS and multiple visits of the office will not be necessary.
“Incentive-based structure will be introduced in passport offices,” Khan said, adding that corruption was not acceptable and attitude of all the staff members should be supportive and cooperative towards the public.
He appreciated efforts made by the Passport Office for creation of a new system which can be further improved with passion and hard work.
“As part of measures to facilitate the public, the validity of passport has been increased from five years to ten years while time required for passport delivery has been reduced to almost one week. From January next, passport office will launch a Mega Centre with state-of-the-art facilities,” said the interior minister.
He said that those who are criticising NADRA should stop as transfer of votes is the sole purview of Election Commission of Pakistan and not NADRA. He rejected the allegations levelled by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf regarding NADRA’s role in rigging the NA-122 by-polls on behalf of the ruling party.