ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) has approved blue passports for 42 of the country’s highest-ranking taxpayers, designated as ambassadors at large on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. DGIP Director General Muhammad Ali Randhawa confirmed Sunday that authorities have already issued most of these passports.
Another proposal for special-coloured passports for businessmen paying taxes above a certain threshold is under consideration, with input from the Ministry of Commerce and the Federal Board of Revenue,
The development marks a broader strategic pivot by the DGIP toward technology-driven public service delivery, one that promises to eliminate long queues, agent mafias, and cash-based inefficiencies that have long plagued Pakistan’s passport system.
Also Read: Govt to Launch Home-Based Online Passport Application System
Doorstep Delivery and AI-Powered Assistance
In a major push toward civic facilitation, Chief Randhawa revealed plans to launch a comprehensive,
nationwide doorstep passport delivery service. The DGIP is currently finalizing a formal agreement with a
premier domestic logistics and courier company.
Once enacted, applicants can opt to receive their finished passports directly at their secure residential or commercial addresses for a nominal logistical fee. The department will dispatch these secure credentials directly from the central printing facility in Islamabad.
During its second phase, the DGIP plans to extend this premium home delivery option to overseas Pakistani
communities worldwide. In order to make processes of inquiries from members of the public more efficient and reduce the administrative burden that exists within the system, the DGIP will shortly implement a chatbot that will interact using artificial intelligence. This operational innovation will directly minimize the heavy call volumes on the department’s standard call center, which authorities are concurrently expanding to enhance responsiveness.
Transitioning to a Fully Digital and Cashless System
In tandem with automated support tools, the DGIP is considering a complete transition to online passport
application submissions. Officials are currently exploring two technological pathways: launching a dedicated mobile application modeled after the National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) successful
Pak-ID platform, or integrating passport registration services directly into the existing NADRA infrastructure. This proposed platform will allow citizens to renew expiring passports and upload updated biographical data
24/7 from anywhere in the world, mitigating human resource constraints and maximizing user accessibility.
Finally, the DGIP will completely cease manual, cash-based fee deposits at National Bank of Pakistan (NBP)
branches following June 30, 2026. The department will enforce a strict, 100% cashless payment framework to
eradicate the exploitative “agent mafia” that frequently targets applicants. Under this new financial protocol, application tokens will feature integrated QR codes. Citizens can effortlessly scan these codes using any standard mobile banking application to clear their official dues securely and instantaneously. These aggressive structural and technological upgrades mark a decisive turning point in Pakistan’s administrative framework, aligning public service delivery with elite international digital benchmarks.
