Number of regional passport offices reaches 173.

ISLAMABAD -- The each passing year has witnessed increase in number of Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) and Executive Passport Offices (EPOs), touching 173 mark across the country.

The number of such office in different zones across the country was 28 in 2004 and increased to 42 in 2008.

The Directorate General Immigration and Passport (IMPASS), in view of surging demand of citizens and to end queues, has established around 145 new such offices during last 14 years.

As per data issued here, the Directorate has also established 92 international offices in Foreign Missions to facilitate millions of Pakistani expatriates under phase-l and phase-ll of Machine Readable Passport project.

Around 49 international offices are being run by IMPASS and Ministry of Interior. Of the total, international offices have been established in seven Foreign Missions (FMs) in Africa continent, 11 offices in America continent, 44 in Asia, three in Australia and such offices have also been established in 27 country's FMs in Europe.

The proposal for creation of 252 posts at 49 Foreign Missions has been submitted to Ministry of Interior which has referred the case to Establishment Division for No Objection Certificate (NoC).

The data further showed that during six months period (July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018), the Directorate has issued 21,46,901 passports, made 29,751 extension of visas (family, student...