The citizens of Pakistan are facing a major crisis. Those who were about to travel to another country for work, study purposes or any medical purposes have been stuck due to no new passports! In Pakistan, there is a shortage of lamination paper which has given rise to this situation.
No New Passports For Citizens Of Pakistan!
The Express Tribune reported the scarcity of lamination paper. It is causing problems for Pakistani nationals trying to get new passports. According to Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P), lamination paper for passports is imported from France.
Qadir Yar Tiwana, the Director General for Media of the Ministry of Interior, stated that every effort was being made by the government to manage the problem. He further stated that passport issuance will resume as usual once the situation has been brought under control.
He continued by saying that the backlog had already started to steadily decrease for the department. The scarcity has impacted hundreds of Pakistanis who were considering international trips. Numerous students have attributed the situation to the incompetence of the Pakistani government, citing impending admissions deadlines at universities across the globe.
As per the report, several people were planning to move abroad for work and studies. For them, this was their way to support the family and to have an opportunity to study at better colleges. However, the scarcity of lamination paper has resulted in the delay.
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A student from Peshawar spoke to The Express Tribune about the situation and stated that she was supposed to travel to Italy for her studies. However, with no new passport available, she feels like being robbed of the opportunity. Another person stated that he was supposed to move to Dubai for a job shortly. His family, along with him, were ecstatic about the opportunity however, with the mismanagement, they feel like never being able to move out of the country.
There Was A Hike In Gas & Petrol Prices Too
The government approved a significant rise in gas rates of up to 193 per cent in an attempt to save the struggling gas firms. The Express Tribune claimed that the idea to totally remove subsidies for the wealthiest industrialists and exporters was rejected. Commencing on November 1, residential users may anticipate a 172 per cent hike in petrol prices, while business consumers will see a 137 per cent increase.
Petrol prices will rise by an astounding 193 per cent, which will affect cement makers. For compressed natural gas (CNG), commercial, and residential use, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved this gas price hike. According to a Pakistani daily with foreign ties, The Express Tribune, the ECC authorised pricing rises for cement producers.
Further, the ECC also approved the purchase of 200,000 metric tonnes of urea and one million metric tonnes of wheat. At current international market values, the cost of the wheat import alone is expected to be more than $250 million.
Also Read: After Hyderabadi Biryani, Pakistan Team Enjoys Kolkata Biryani & Kebabs From Zam Zam
Comment below and share your thoughts about the ongoing crisis of passports in the country.
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