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Speaking to Dawn, Hanifullah, Arshad Zaman, Ali Akbar, Mohammad Jalil, and others voiced their frustration over the delay in receiving their passports.
They stated that despite applying for urgent passport processing four months ago and paying Rs7,500, they were informed that the department was facing a shortage of paper. Additionally, they mentioned that individuals seeking to perform Umrah were also affected by the delayed passport issuance.
Izhar Ahmad Qazi from Qaziabad Timergara shared his experience with Dawn, revealing that he applied for a passport in the normal category on December 12 last year, paying Rs4,500, but had not received it yet. Despite visiting the Timergara passport office for three months, he had not made any progress. Consequently, he missed the opportunity to accompany his family for Umrah.
Normally, a passport with a fee of Rs4,500 is issued within 12 days, while an urgent passport, costing Rs7,500, is processed in only four days. The applicants urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and the director general of passports and immigration to address the issue promptly.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) refuted reports of supporting the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) candidate for the Balambat tehsil chairman position. ANP Lower Dir spokesman Murad Mishwani clarified that while a party representative had participated in a multiparty meeting regarding the election, it did not signify support for the JI nominee.
Mishwani reiterated that ANP had nominated Malik Hayat Yousafzai for the position and dismissed rumors circulating on social media platforms. The Balambat tehsil chairman position became vacant when the PTI-elected chairman failed to return to the council following the May 9, 2023 violence.
