Passport Office Malir to be shifted in customized building in one month: DG Passport

KARACHI: Director General of Immigration and Passports Sikandar Sultan Raja paid a surprise visit to Passport offices here and remained there for almost four hours without letting any official know about his presence.

At this office approximately 2000 applicants are entertained daily and another 2000 come to collect their passports.

There is lot of rush and mismanagement in the Regional Passport Office West/Malir located in Saddar.

The DG Passport showed his annoyance on coming to know that building of independent and customized building in Malir for passport office is complete since long but office could not be shifted as it is in possession of District Administration Malir at present and passport applicants have to travel to Saddar.

He ordered an inquiry to fix the responsibility on the passport officials responsible for this slackness.

He called on the Chief Secretary Sindh with the request to help vacate the building of Passport Office Malir who promised to do so. Zonal Head was directed to make Malir Office functional within one month.

It was also decided to establish an independent office for applicants with urgent fee inside the compound to decrease the workload on other offices located over there and to further facilitate the public paying urgent fee.

The DG also visited Passport Office Awami Markaz which is located in two shops which is insufficient to cater for 500 plus applicants daily. There is no seating arrangement in this office.

He immediately ordered to search some suitable building to relocate the office.

He also inspected two buildings in this regard and said decision will be taken within one month.

The DG Passport also showed dissatisfaction over the security arrangements and directed to check the entry of irrelevant persons.

He also directed to open additional counters in all the offices keeping in view the work load.

He gave one month to the Zonal Incharge and responsible officers at Head Office to take above mentioned actions.