By Uzma Sahar 
Pakistan’s Passport and Immigration offices are grappling with a severe ink shortage, adding to the woes already caused by a lack of lamination paper. This new crisis has brought the printing of both normal and urgent passports to a grinding halt.
A leading news platform’s sources reveal that the ink supplies have been exhausted, making it impossible for the offices to print passports. This issue, coupled with the previous lamination paper shortage, threatens to completely paralyze the passport issuance process if not promptly addressed by senior officials.
The ongoing operational disruptions stem from what insiders describe as gross mismanagement and incompetence at the highest levels of the department. The crisis is further exacerbated by plans to convert the Directorate of Passport and Immigration into an autonomous authority. This transition aims to grant the director general full control over the budget and decision-making, similar to the autonomy enjoyed by Principal Accounting Officers in other ministries. However, this reorganization appears to have diverted focus and resources from essential operational needs.
Instead of prioritizing the procurement of ink and lamination paper, the Directorate reportedly spent around Rs. 60 million on office renovations. This misallocation of funds has left the offices unable to fulfill their primary function of issuing passports.
The director general’s focus on transforming the Directorate into an authority is seen by many as an attempt to consolidate power and gain more control over the department’s budget. However, this shift in priorities has led to significant operational neglect, resulting in severe consequences for passport issuance.
The impact of these shortages is far-reaching. The passport office has already failed to deliver passports on time for both normal and urgent requests. This has particularly affected overseas Pakistanis, who have expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction with the delays.
During a recent visit to London, the Interior Minister was confronted by complaints from the Pakistani diaspora regarding the persistent delays in receiving their passports. In response, the minister directed the passport office to expedite its services for overseas Pakistanis. However, without addressing the fundamental supply issues, these directives are unlikely to bring about any meaningful improvement.
The ink shortage, combined with the lamination paper issue, underscores a severe lapse in planning and resource management within the Directorate. Immediate intervention is required to replenish the ink supplies and ensure that the necessary materials are available to resume normal operations.
As the passport and immigration offices struggle to cope with the demand, many Pakistanis are left in a state of uncertainty regarding their travel plans. The situation calls for urgent action from higher authorities to rectify the mismanagement and restore the office’s ability to function effectively.