ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Immigration & Passport of Pakistan has officially introduced the passport home delivery service, which means that there is no need for Pakistani citizens to physically go to passport offices to receive their passports. The Pakistan passport home delivery service provides passport holders with their passports at their doorstep through collaboration with TCS, a major courier company of Pakistan.
The official declaration of partnership was made by Director General of Immigration and Passports, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, and TCS Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Raza Leghari, during an event organized by the DGIP, which took place in the head office of DGIP in Islamabad.
How It Works
Pakistan Passport Home Delivery services work by seamlessly incorporating themselves into the current passport application system without asking the applicants to make any changes to how they apply for their passports:
- The applicants apply for their passports as per the current system
- Upon applying, the applicants choose the home delivery service via the TCS courier company
- Once the passport is ready, it gets delivered to the applicant’s registered address
- No need for applicants to visit the passport office to collect their passports
“This home delivery service will ensure that passport distribution is speedy, secure, and hassle-free.”
DGIP and TCS officials
TCS Officially Partners With DGIP As Its Couriers
According to the new contract, TCS has been designated as the service partner for the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. The contract means that the door-to-door service provided by the company will be supported by a courier system that covers cities all across Pakistan, including a significant number of small towns.
The presence of the TCS CEO Hassan Raza Leghari at the event itself is indicative of the significance that the contract has for both parties — a government agency and a courier service from the private sector, both pledging to uphold a certain standard of service.
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A Part of the Larger Programme for Passport Modernization
The Pakistan passport delivery service at your doorstep is not a standalone process; it comes after the government’s effort of turning passport offices cashless, which was an effort to get rid of the hassle of cash-based transactions that take place in busy government offices.
These two processes, cashless offices, and delivery at the doorsteps are two major initiatives within the wider plan for passport modernization in accordance with the policy of PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
The initiative directly addresses two of the most persistent complaints Pakistani citizens have raised about passport services for years the time cost of physical office visits and the financial and security risks of cash-based transactions.
Implications for Citizens of Pakistan
There are many benefits from this Pakistan passport home delivery service which will directly impact any citizen who takes advantage of this service:
- Time saving – no time wasted by spending half a day collecting their passport from the passport office
- Cost saving – no cost involved for traveling and no loss of an entire working day
- Increased security – passports will travel via a secure and traceable courrier route as opposed to collection from a passport office where they face crowds
- Convenience provided – door step collection can be done for senior citizens, citizens with a disability and even those in cities without a passport office nearby
As for a nation whose passport offices used to be some of the busiest and slowest government departments to deal with, the home delivery of passports in Pakistan is precisely the sort of institution-building that can make life better for its citizens without any need for substantial capital – just the willingness to do so.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
