NADRA: woes of passport seekers

This refers to the letter "Rush at passport offices" (February 23). My wife and I went to Karachi's Saddar passport office to get new passports.

After three hours of excruciating torture, we reached the final stage where we were told that since some slack and inept official at NADRA had not entered my wife's father's name in her record, we were required to go to Nadra and get it done.

At Nadra, another two hours were consumed and my wife had to pay Rs. 1,500 to get a new CNIC, even though her current CNIC was valid until 2015.

NADRA delivered the new CNIC after 12 working days, after which we again went to the passport office where, to our horror, we were told to go through the whole three-hour torture again, although all her details were already recorded in their computers.

I am sure that if their computers crash, the 500 people in the hall would be told to come the next day even if they have gone through most of the process and are waiting at the final counter.
All the incompetent and lethargic officials at the passport office should be sacked and replaced by people who have been appointed on merit.

SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
Published in DAWN, March 6, 2013

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