Passport collection counters to remain open on Saturdays for 2 months

Passport delivery counters will now be open on Saturdays from 8am to 4pm for the next two months, according to a public notice issued by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP).

The public notice, available on the DGIP’s official website and was also shared on social media, advised citizens to collect their passports as soon as possible.

It called on citizens who were unable to visit during regular office hours to take advantage of the new timings.

The DGIP warned that passports remaining unclaimed for six months would be destroyed, as per government policy.

In July, the DGIP partnered with logistics and courier company TCS to launch “Passport Aapki Dehleez Par” — a home delivery service for passports.

DGIP Director General Muhammad Ali Randhawa said the initiative reflected the department’s commitment to making passport services more accessible and efficient.

In June, the government had also announced that it had decided to phase out machine-readable passports and switch fully to e-passports.

According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the complete transition to e-passports will “end fraud and forgery related to passports”.