Cashless payments launched at passport offices nationwide, says Naqvi

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that cashless transactions had become operational at all passport offices across Pakistan, describing the move as part of efforts to make services easier for the public.

In a post on X, Naqvi said applicants would no longer have to wait in long lines or spend hours making payments at passport offices.

Applicants no longer need to stand in long queues or wait for hours to make payments.

The interior minister said the reform was introduced on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and added that his team had implemented it successfully. He said the initiative was another step towards improving the speed, transparency and convenience of public services for citizens.

This is another step towards making public services faster, more transparent, and more convenient for our citizens. Many more milestones lie ahead, and, InshaAllah, we will continue to achieve them,

Naqvi also praised the passport department staff for their work.

Keep up the excellent work.

Part of wider passport digitisation drive

The announcement follows recent remarks by Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa, who outlined a broader digital transformation plan for passport services. According to the DG, the initiative includes a passport mobile application, home delivery, and QR code-based payments aimed at making the process quicker, more transparent and free of illegal practices.

Speaking to a media outlet on Friday, Randhawa said the mobile app would allow citizens to apply for and renew passports online, monitor the status of their applications and use key services through their mobile phones.

He also said the department was working on a home delivery service so that applicants could receive passports at their homes, reducing the need for repeated visits to passport offices.