The process of passport tracking can be a hassle in a country like Pakistan where government systems are marred by bureaucratic hurdles and red-tapism.
The Pakistani passport, for what it’s worth, remains one of the lowest-ranked passports in the world. However, there’s no denying it still is a pre-requisite to international travel.
The Pakistani government issues two types of passports to its citizens – Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and e-passport – with each passport further divided into the following subtypes:
- Ordinary Passport
- Official Passport
- Diplomatic Passport
- Emergency Travel Document
If you’ve applied for a Pakistani Ordinary Passport but have yet to receive it, chances are your document is in the processing stage and may take some time before you finally get a hold of it. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P)’s SMS-based Passport Tracking Intimation System enables applicants to check the latest status of their passport.
How to check passport status through SMS
All citizens are requested to provide their correct cell number at Data Entry stage during passport processing, so that your passport application status can be shared on your cell number through SMS code 9988.
It is worth noting that citizens can apply for passports from any city by paying passport fees for all categories at any branch of the National Bank. This initiative was announced back in August when the Interior Ministry forwarded a proposal to this effect to the federal cabinet for approval.
