Islamabad – The government has introduced a double-shift system in eight major regional passport offices of the country to improve the provision of passport services and increase convenience for citizens.
Under the new arrangement, the respective offices will now provide services from 8 am to 12 midnight from Monday to Friday. The first shift will be from 8 am to 4 pm while the second shift will be from 4 pm to 12 midnight. The new policy has been implemented since August 20.
The double-shift system has been implemented in regional passport offices established in eight cities. These include Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad and Quetta.
This decision is expected to provide special convenience to such citizens who are unable to reach the passport office during normal hours of the day due to employment, business or other commitments. The availability of the service after 4 pm will give them additional time to submit their application or obtain the relevant passport facility after their work.
The government’s decision to extend the working hours has come at a time when rush, waiting and delay in service at passport offices have been among the major complaints of citizens. During a visit to Lahore’s Garden Town passport office on August 19, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed his displeasure over the long queues, empty counters and delays faced by citizens.
In this context, the additional shift is also being seen as an attempt to improve service delivery rather than just extending the working hours. However, the success of the initiative will depend on the fact that the required staff, counters and technical facilities are available at full capacity during the additional hours.
According to the website of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, citizens can avail passport services from any passport office in Pakistan, irrespective of their address, provided that the relevant rules and regulations are met.
The DGIP is already providing 24-hour passport processing facilities at certain designated centres, including G-10/4 in Islamabad, Garden Town in Lahore and some NADRA mega centres.
The availability of services till 12 midnight in eight major regional offices following the new double shift system is an attempt to make the passport process more accessible to citizens. Citizens are advised to verify the latest public service and token timings of the respective centre before visiting the office, as the procedures and facilities may not be the same at every passport centre.
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