The federal government has decided to discontinue the issuance of machine-readable passports (MRPs) within a month and fully shift to electronic passports (e-passports).
The Ministry of Interior informed the National Assembly that once the transition is complete, only e-passports will be issued at passport offices across Pakistan and Pakistani missions abroad.
However, existing machine-readable passports will remain valid until their respective expiration dates.
The announcement came in response to a question raised by MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan during the National Assembly’s Question Hour.
Responding to supplementary questions, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government was working to introduce the new system within approximately a month.
He explained that Pakistan was adopting e-passports to keep pace with technological advancements and changing immigration requirements worldwide.
The minister said the electronic chip embedded in e-passports would make forgery impossible, improving document security.
However, he acknowledged that Pakistan’s large population and operational challenges at passport offices could delay the rollout. He assured lawmakers that the government was making every effort to complete the transition as soon as possible.
Responding to another question by Syed Tariq Hussain, Chaudhry agreed that the existing passport system needed to be upgraded to meet changing global immigration standards.
He added that e-passport technology was already being used worldwide and Pakistan was moving toward the same system.
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