Pakistan Opens Passport Delivery Counters on Saturdays Nationwide

Pakistan's passport authorities have introduced a nationwide Saturday collection facility, allowing citizens to receive completed passports outside the normal weekday schedule. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports said delivery counters will operate from 8:00am to 4:00pm every Saturday under the temporary arrangement, which will remain in place for two months.

The initiative applies to passport delivery counters across the country and is aimed particularly at applicants who struggle to visit passport offices during regular working hours. Director General of Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa has urged citizens whose passports are ready to collect them promptly and to use the additional Saturday window where convenient.

The weekend arrangement expands access beyond the normal timetable at most passport offices. According to official DGI&P information, regular application and delivery services at most regional, executive and passport processing offices operate from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm. Selected facilities in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi already provide extended or round-the-clock processing services, but the new measure specifically broadens Saturday access for passport collection nationwide.

Applicants collecting a passport are required to follow the department's established delivery procedures. Official DGI&P guidance says an applicant should bring the original token issued during the application process when visiting the delivery counter. Passports are normally handed to the applicant or an eligible blood relative, while applicants who provided valid contact information can receive passport-status updates through the department's notification services.

The department has also reminded applicants not to leave completed passports unclaimed for prolonged periods. Authorities warned that passports remaining uncollected for more than six months can be disposed of under government policy. The Saturday opening therefore provides an additional opportunity for people with work, study or other weekday commitments to secure their documents before that deadline becomes an issue.

The measure is part of a broader effort by passport authorities to make travel-document services more accessible. In recent months, DGI&P has expanded service hours at selected offices and introduced additional delivery options, including a passport home-delivery initiative launched in partnership with a courier company. The latest weekend collection arrangement adds another channel for citizens who prefer to receive their documents directly from passport offices.

For the next two months, citizens with passports already prepared for delivery can use the Saturday window from 8:00am until 4:00pm. Applicants are being encouraged to confirm that their documents are ready before travelling to a passport office and to collect them without unnecessary delay. The announcement did not indicate whether Saturday delivery hours would become permanent after the initial two-month period, making the performance of the temporary facility the key factor to watch next.