Pakistan plans full digital overhaul of passports and immigration

The federal government has decided to move Pakistan’s passport and immigration operations to a fully digital model, signalling a major administrative reform aimed at cutting paperwork and improving service delivery. The initiative follows the appointment of Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa as director general of Immigration and Passports.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed the newly appointed chief to lead wide-ranging reforms that would transform the current framework into a paperless system. The plan is designed to make passport issuance and immigration-related services faster, more transparent and easier for citizens to access.

Officials say the overhaul will focus on reducing delays, simplifying procedures and modernising the way applications and public-facing processes are handled nationwide. The government is presenting the programme as a governance upgrade that combines digitisation with stronger administrative efficiency.

The reform push comes alongside a broader reshuffle in the federal capital’s bureaucracy. Beyond the personnel change, the core policy message is that the state now wants core identity and travel documentation services to function through a more integrated and technology-driven platform.