ISLAMABAD: In a major leap toward absolute digitisation, Pakistan is set to completely retire its conventional passport system and transition exclusively to biometric e-passports, effectively dismantling traditional avenues for identity fraud and document forgery.
The sweeping modernisation strategy was green lit during a high-level briefing at the Passport and Immigration Headquarters, chaired by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Describing the electronic shift as a principled and necessary evolution, Naqvi emphasised that “migrating to a fully digital architecture is a critical checkpoint in securing the country’s border integrity and offering citizens a foolproof identity document”.
Director General of Passports and Immigration Muhammad Ali Randhawa presented the operational blueprint for the overhaul, which reengineers how citizens interact with the state from application to delivery.
The restructuring fundamentally alters the department’s financial and logistical operations. Beginning July 1, all passport offices nationwide will transition to a strictly cashless payment system, closing loopholes for low-level exploitation and bringing fiscal transparency to the forefront. Simultaneously, the digital application pipeline is being integrated directly into the centralised Pak-ID platform, unifying state identity services.
For citizens seeking premium or expedited handling, the ministry is introducing an actual-cost pricing model, ensuring that those utilising premium tiers pay fees directly scaled to the heightened operational costs of those specialised services. Furthermore, preliminary logistics are fully finalised for a comprehensive home-delivery network. Once launched, this service will ship processed e-passports directly to the doorsteps of applicants both domestically and to Pakistani expatriates living abroad. The reform package also eyes economic integration. Minister Naqvi directed the passport authorities to expedite a dedicated policy for business-class passports, mandating swift, collaborative consultations with the Federal Board of Revenue to facilitate smoother travel frameworks for the country’s mercantile sector.
