ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that digital transformation would not only save valuable time of the citizens, but it will also make the process of issuance of passports easier.

The minister said this during the launching ceremony of Passport Processing Counters (PPC), Inland online Passport renewal and e-passport facility for the residents of the federal capital. Director General (DG) Immigration and Passport, Yawer Hussain and Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Tariq Malik were also present on the occasion.

Sanuallah said that the e-passport facility included advanced security features such as biometric data, digital signature, and encryption. Such measures would help in reducing the risks of passport fraud and identity theft, which will strengthen international confidence in the country’s passport system, he said.

Fee schedule for e-passport announced

He said that the facility of e-passport till date was only available for government officials and diplomats but now citizens of Islamabad can also avail this facility.

The minister said that through this facility, people would renew their passports online without going to passport offices. Through the web portal, applicants will be able to submit their applications as well as upload the required documents, and track the progress of their applications, he said. The interior minister said that the number of PPCs will be expanded to 30 other different cities where passport offices have so far not been established. This step will help improve the accessibility of the passport facility to the people, he said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2023