KARACHI: Despite a notable increase in the number of Pakistanis aspiring to travel abroad, 121,418 fewer passports were issued in 2024 compared to the previous year.
There was also a significant rise in the number of citizens applying for e-passports in 2024.
Passport Director General (DG) Mustafa Jamal Qazi revealed that 6,596,520 passports were issued to Pakistanis in 2024, whereas the figure was 6,717,938 in 2023.
A total of Rs47.65 billion was deposited into the national exchequer through passport fees in 2024. According to the DG, 715,074 overseas Pakistanis obtained passports in 2024, while 5,206,234 passports were issued to citizens residing within the country.
In 2024, 252,141 passports were processed online, and 257,398 e-passports were issued.
Based on the data provided by the DG, women ranked first in obtaining passports, with 9,659,312 women receiving their passports in 2024.
Meanwhile, 1,768,341 men and 523 transgender individuals across the country also obtained Pakistani passports.
A total of 3,056,427 new passports were processed, and 2,541,170 passports were renewed in 2024.
The DG stated that during 2024, citizens faced delays in obtaining passports due to various reasons, but the situation has since improved, and citizens are now receiving their passports within the stipulated timeframe.
