The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) offices in Multan are facing an influx of applicants for machine readable passports as the Umrah season approaches, it is learnt here on Sunday. More people want to perform Umrah in the month of Ramazan while the Saudi government had made the machine readable passport compulsory for visa.
"I applied for an urgent passport 10 days back and paid extra money but I have not received it yet because of extra load on the Nadra system," said Ghafooran Begum. The authority should improve their system to meet the rush season, she said. Saeeda Fatima, who had applied for a normal passport, could not get it after 14 days even after paying Rs 700 to a private agent.
The fees for an urgent passport is Rs 5,000 with delivery in five days while the charges for a normal passport are Rs 2,100 to be available in 12 days, the authorities said. Obtaining computerised national identity cards (CNIC) and machine readable passports may be difficult for many, reveals a survey by this correspondent at the offices of passport and national database and registration authority (Nadra) during the week.
People in long queues outside these offices were confused over objections raised by Nadra about family names and numbers. The authority issues cards after 15 days of submitting applications but in certain cases, objections over incorrect family number or name are raised, it was learnt. "I was not aware of the procedure and after much effort, I could get the information and the application form," said a victim at city office.
"After getting the form attested and submitting it," he added, "I came to know about an objection over family number when I came to collect my CNIC." The authority had displayed instructions and guidelines for people but many are not able to understand the procedure. "The literacy rate is very low in South Punjab and a majority could not understand the written guidelines and would have to depend on others for help," said Javed Shad, another person in the queue. He said the authority should set up more help desks so the illiterate would not face any problems. "Otherwise they should restore 'private agents' to help people," he said.
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