Naqvi pays surprise visit to passport office, remove 2 officials after citizens complaints

LAHORE, Aug 19 (APP): Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi here on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to the Garden Town Passport Office to review public service delivery and address complaints from citizens seeking passports.

During the visit, the minister observed long queues of applicants waiting for their turn. Many citizens informed him that they had been present since morning and had already spent several hours waiting without receiving service.

According to applicants, some counters remained vacant because staff members were not available, causing delays in processing applications.

Citizens also complained about the presence of agents outside the passport office. They alleged that agents openly demanded extra payments in exchange for faster processing of passport applications. One applicant told the minister that he had paid Rs 5,500 to an agent to get his work completed quickly. Others claimed that such practices had become common outside the office.

An elderly citizen informed the minister that he had come to collect his passport on the scheduled date but was told by staff that the document had not yet been printed. Similar complaints were raised by several visitors, who said delays and lack of information had created difficulties for applicants.

After reviewing the situation and hearing complaints directly from citizens, Mohsin Naqvi expressed concern over the management of the office. He ordered the removal of Passport Office Deputy Director, Shahzad Aslam, who was serving as the officer in charge, citing administrative shortcomings and failure to perform duties.

The interior minister also directed that the Deputy Director Anti-Corruption of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore be removed from his position over the continued presence and activities of agents outside the passport office.

Naqvi issued on-the-spot instructions to address public complaints and improve services. Speaking with applicants, he apologized for the inconvenience they had faced and assured them that steps would be taken to improve service delivery.

He said that providing facilities to citizens was both the government’s responsibility and duty. The minister further stated that there would be no compromise on efficient passport services and that disciplinary action would be taken against anyone found negligent, regardless of position.