Passport Department to resume operation next week: Officials

KABUL (TOLOnews): Officials of the Kabul Central Passport Department in a press conference on Thursday said the process of issuing passports will commence next Wednesday.
Mawlavi Abdul Haseeb Karim, General Director of the Passport Department told to media on Thursday that the passport registration process will begin online in Kabul and all provinces, and the distribution process will resume in the coming days.
Karim said that Central Passport Department is committed to providing all-around facilities for citizens, and everyone deserves to get a passport. The relevant department is doing its best to overcome the existing problems and increase the number of passports to be issued to the citizens across the country, he said.
“Central Passport Department has arrested some 150 brokers who illegally prepare passports for applicants for huge amounts of money, and have been introduced to the judicial bodies,” Karim said.
It is stated that those applicants who have electronic identification cards (e-tazkira) do not need to take biometrics again to get a passport.
Shershah Qureshi, the Deputy General Director of the Passport Department said that efforts will be multi-folded to increase the distribution of passports to 10,000 copies per day.
“There are enough passport booklets, and technical problems have been addressed accordingly. It is ensured that there won’t be any major constraints in the passport distribution process in the future,” passport department officials said.
Central Passport Department ceased operation nearly five months ago, which forced applicants to pay up to $4000 to get a passport from the black market.
Afghanistan has one of the least powerful passports in the world according to the international passport validation index, but many applicants are trying to have it.