LAHORE (Lord Media): In Pakistan, ordinary citizens endure fees, long queues, and waiting periods to obtain passports, while high-ranking officials receive blue and red passports free of charge and on an urgent basis.
Beneficiaries include the President, Prime Minister, Speakers of the National and Provincial Assemblies, Senators, judges of the superior judiciary, and Grade 22 officers.
According to institutional sources, 432 members of the National Assembly, over 350 from the Punjab Assembly, more than 100 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 150 from the Sindh Assembly, and over 50 from the Balochistan Assembly have received blue passports.
More than 100 Senators, Speakers of the National and Provincial Assemblies, Chief Ministers, and Grade 22 officers have also been issued blue passports this year. These passports are provided in the urgent category without any fees.
Ordinary citizens express frustration over paying fees and enduring long waits, while influential figures receive free blue passports. Citizens demand that free passport facilities should be extended to senior citizens and deserving individuals.
Passport sources reveal that the Passport and Immigration Department generated approximately 100 billion rupees in revenue last fiscal year and has set a target of 150 billion rupees for the current fiscal year. Officials state that e-passports are now being issued instead of machine-readable passports.
