The ongoing passport printing crisis in Pakistan has escalated with the stock of ink now depleting after the earlier shortage of lamination paper.
The backlog of passport applications continues to grow instead of reducing, exacerbating delays for citizens.
According to sources, the country has run out of ink required for printing passports, further hampering the production process. A fresh batch of ink is expected to arrive in Islamabad on July 28. However, delays in clearing the consignment from customs have raised concerns.
The director general (DG) of passports has written a letter to the Customs authorities, requesting expedited clearance of the ink shipment. The letter highlights that due to a lack of funds and non-payment of Customs duties and taxes, there have been significant delays in clearing of consignments.
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The letter says that it has become difficult to maintain the productivity of passports as consignments are not cleared in time.
The DG’s letter also assures that payments to the Customs department will be settled within 15 days of the shipment's clearance. The letter stresses the urgency of clearing the upcoming ink consignment on a priority basis to alleviate the backlog and resume normal passport printing operations.
The DG says in the letter that the Customs should clear the ink shipment immediately on deferred payment basis.
The situation remains critical as the delay in clearing the ink consignment further threatens to extend the waiting time for passport applicants, who are already facing significant delays.
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