Authorities have warned that a history of deportation, immigration violations or security related concerns can seriously affect a citizen’s chances of obtaining or renewing a passport under the Passport Rules 2021.
Under the existing regulations, passport authorities have the authority to reject the issuance or renewal of travel documents for individuals whose past conduct is considered harmful to national security, public interest or legal requirements.
The policy particularly applies to people deported for visa violations, illegal entry into foreign countries or involvement in criminal offences.
Officials also stated that individuals suspected of human trafficking, smuggling or those flagged by law enforcement agencies may be declared ineligible for passport services.
Likewise, citizens placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) individuals facing court imposed travel restrictions or those wanted by international law enforcement agencies may also be barred from obtaining passports.
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Passport Control List (PCL)
The restrictions are enforced through the Passport Control List (PCL), a system used to categorise individuals and impose travel bans for specific periods.
Authorities can extend these restrictions when necessary, while in serious cases already issued passports may also be remotely blocked to prevent international travel.
Officials said the strict verification process is aimed at ensuring that individuals deported from foreign countries or involved in immigration violations resolve their legal and administrative matters before travelling again.
Govt speeds up passport process
Major reforms have been announced by the federal government to provide support to citizens and improve passport services.
The decisions regarding the passport were made during a meeting chaired by Talal Chaudry and Mohsin Naqvi.
The details suggest that the processing time for a normal passport has been reduced from 21 days to 14 days. This will ensure faster delivery for applicants.
It has also been directed by the Interior Minister that a fully cashless system will be implemented in passport offices. It is expected that the system will be enforced within the next 15 days.
According to Mohsin Naqvi when cash payments are eliminated it will help curb the agent mafia and make the process more convenient and transparent for public.
The system for home delivery of passports will additionally be further approved to enhance efficiency.
The revised passport delivery timelines by the government will shorten the wait time for all applicants under the normal category. This has introduced a faster processing schedule across all major passport services.
For Machine Readable Passports (MRP) under the updated application priority, normal passport applications will now be delivered within 14 working days after successful processing instead of 21 working days.
The applications that are now fast-tracked will be delivered within two working days. The passports that are submitted under the urgent category will be issued within five working days.
The facility to fast-track will be available in 47 cities. This is according to update priority schedule.
This means that certain participants in these 47 cities will be able to receive their passports in two working days.
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