Pakistan faces an unusual hurdle in issuing passports to its citizens. Many have valid student visas and are enrolled in foreign institutions.
Pakistan has a severe shortage of lamination paper, without which the crucial travel document can not be issued by the government.
A Pakistani officer told Express Tribune that nearly 12 passports are being printed every day. Over 3,000 passports were reportedly printed earlier.
‘Unavailability of a passport robbed me of an opportunity,’ a student told NDTV. She reportedly had a student visa to Italy.
Pakistani citizens faced a similar problem in 2013, when the country’s passport authorities failed to pay suppliers of lamination papers in France.
Pakistan has not said when the issue would be solved. ‘Situation will soon be under control,’ an Interior Ministry official said.