Mohsin Naqvi Orders Removal of Garden Town Passport Office In-Charge
LAHORE:Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered the removal of the in-charge of the Garden Town Passport Office in Lahore over complaints of negligence and poor services.
During his visit to the passport office, Naqvi found long queues of citizens waiting to obtain passports and listened to numerous complaints about delays and alleged corruption.
Citizens told the interior minister that they had been waiting since morning, with staff absent from several counters. Some said they had waited for four hours without their turn, while others alleged that an agent mafia was operating outside the office.
Citizens also complained that agents were openly demanding money for expedited passport processing. One applicant said he had paid an agent Rs5,500, while an elderly citizen complained that although his passport was due to be issued that day, staff told him it had not yet been printed.
Expressing strong displeasure over negligence, Naqvi ordered the removal of Passport Office In-Charge and Deputy Director Shehzad Aslam.
He also ordered the removal of the Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Lahore, over the presence of alleged agents outside the passport office.
Naqvi issued the orders on the spot and apologized to the citizens, saying that providing facilities to the public was the government’s responsibility and duty.
