ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday visited the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, where he inaugurated ‘Shikra’, a modern monitoring system to track passport applications, printing, and departmental performance in real time.
Under the new upgrade, a 24/7 monitoring room and a call centre have been made operational at the DG Immigration and Passports. On the minister’s directions, the system for issuing Emergency Travel Documents has also been fully digitised.
Officials briefed the interior minister on the Secure Hybrid Intelligence for Knowledge-Based Response Analytics (Shikra) system. The system allows real-time monitoring of passport applications and deliveries, both inside Pakistan and abroad.
Naqvi praised the DG Immigration and Passports and his team for introducing a technology-based monitoring network. He said Pakistan’s passport system has now been brought in line with international standards followed by leading countries.
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“With this system, every stage of the passport process, from application submission to final delivery, will be closely monitored,” he said. He added that the government aims to provide citizens with fast, safe, and globally standardised services.
The minister said the new monitoring framework would further improve the department’s efficiency. He also highlighted upgrades in passport security features, which now meet ICAO international standards.
Naqvi noted that newly installed automatic German printing machines have increased production capacity, removed human involvement in printing, and improved overall reliability.
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During the visit, the interior minister toured the e-monitoring room, call centre, forensic laboratory, and modern production unit. Officials also briefed him on the digital integrated dashboard, which allows daily monitoring of operations and staff performance.
Under the new system, crowd levels at passport offices will be monitored automatically, while the Network Management System will track application backlogs and the status of machinery.
