Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa has directed officials to make the cashless passport fee system easier and more user-friendly for the public.
Randhawa visited the Passport Headquarters and reviewed the process of paying passport fees. He issued instructions to make the payment system simpler and more transparent for citizens.
During the visit, he checked the cashless payment system by paying the passport fee himself through a QR code. He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the digital payment system.
He instructed officials to further improve the cashless system so people can pay their passport fees more easily and quickly. He said the changes should help reduce long queues and inconvenience for citizens.
Randhawa also directed the headquarters administration to keep passport halls and waiting areas clean, well-organised and comfortable for visitors.
Advanced security features in Pakistani passport
The government is likely to introduce new security features in Pakistani passports to make them safer and harder to copy.
The proposal was discussed recently during a meeting led by Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa.
Representatives from international companies that specialise in passport security also attended the meeting.
Officials said the new features are for the purpose of preventing forgery and improving the passport verification process. They also added that the changes could also help Pakistani passports meet international standards.
During the meeting, representatives of several international companies presented the latest passport security technologies. They also shared examples of security features used in some of the world’s leading passports.
Senior officials from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, along with technical experts and forensic specialists, also took part in the meeting. They reviewed different proposals to help modernise Pakistan’s passport system.
Prior to that, Pakistan announced an important change to its passport services for citizens living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the details, from July 20, 2026, the Pakistani Embassy and Consulate in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will accept applications only for e-passports. New applications for Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) will no longer be accepted.