Machine-readable passports will be launched by December this year to check the misuse of travelling documents.
This was stated during a briefing given to Punjab Governor, Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) at Regional Passport office here on Saturday.
Deputy Director Passports, Lahore, Shamshad Ali Khan said that the computerised passport system, incurring an expenditure of Rs 2.83 billion, would help get rid of the out-dated, paper-based system, besides ending the "agents" culture.
He said that Lahore office would be shifted to a new premises in New Garden Town, by June.
The official said that about one million passports were issued by 29 regional offices across the country every year. Some 1,40,200 passports were issued by Lahore office during the year 2003, he said.
Passport department official said that about 161 employees were dismissed from the services on corruption charges.
He said that the existing passport offices in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat and Swat would be housed in new buildings by June.
Speaking on this occasion, Governor Punjab, Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) expressed his satisfaction over the working of Lahore passport office and urged the officials to be more people-friendly.
He said that documentation should be the first priority of the passport office department.
Governor also visited different sections of the passport off ice.
Later, he visited the Swift center of Nadra and enquired about the working of the office from the visitors.
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