Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Pays Surprise Visit to NADRA Kot Abdul Malik Centre and Shahdara Passport Office
Abid Raza
Lahore, AUG 18 /DNA/ – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi today paid a surprise visit to the NADRA Centre in Kot Abdul Malik and the Passport Office in Shahdara. During the visit, the Minister reviewed the process of issuing national identity cards, other related documents, and passports.
The NADRA office at Kot Abdul Malik was closed due to renovation work, while two mobile vans were stationed outside. However, both vans faced internet outages, resulting in long queues of citizens. NADRA staff explained that the system was down, which caused delays. Citizens also complained that the helpline was not providing proper guidance.
Minister Naqvi listened to the grievances of people who had come to get their ID cards made and issued immediate instructions to resolve the issues. He directed that the internet problem be fixed without delay and ordered the Kot Abdul Malik centre to be made operational at the earliest. He further stressed that since the facility to issue ID cards is available at every centre, it is unacceptable to ask citizens to visit other centres.
At the Shahdara Passport Office, Minister Naqvi met citizens and inquired about the passport issuance process. People complained about delays in the delivery of passports. Expressing displeasure after seeing files and paperwork scattered in the office, the Minister ordered that all records be digitized immediately.
He directed officials to ensure that passports are delivered within the stipulated timeframe. He emphasized that citizens should be able to obtain passports from any passport centre of their choice and that forcing them to move from one centre to another is intolerable.
The Interior Minister also instructed the formulation of a new policy for issuing passports to children whose fathers are working abroad.
