LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered the removal of senior officials at the Garden Town Passport Office in Lahore after finding long queues, service delays and complaints from citizens.
Naqvi visited the passport office and found a large number of people waiting for their turn. Several citizens approached the minister and complained about delays and poor services.
Visitors told Naqvi that they had arrived at the office early in the morning but were still waiting. Some complained that staff members were absent from several counters, while others said they had been waiting for nearly four hours.
Citizens also raised concerns about the alleged presence of agents outside the passport office. Some applicants claimed they had paid agents Rs5,500 to get their passport-related work completed quickly.
An elderly citizen also complained that although he had been asked to collect his passport, staff later informed him that the document had not yet been printed.
Taking notice of the situation, Naqvi expressed serious displeasure and ordered the removal of Deputy Director Shahzad Aslam, who was responsible for the Garden Town Passport Office, over alleged negligence in performing his duties.
The interior minister also ordered the removal of the Deputy Director of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption unit in Lahore, citing concerns over the alleged presence of an agent network operating outside the passport office.
Naqvi issued the orders during his visit and directed the relevant authorities to take immediate action.
The minister also apologised to citizens for the difficulties they had faced and stressed that providing efficient services to the public was the government’s responsibility.
He assured citizens that their complaints would be addressed and that measures would be taken to improve services at the passport office.
The visit highlights the government’s focus on improving public-facing services and addressing complaints related to delays, negligence and alleged intermediaries at government offices.
