In an urgent visit to the Garden Town Passport Office, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi encountered severe mismanagement and corruption, leading to widespread public outrage. Citizens, overwhelmed by the rush to obtain passports, were forced to pay bribes to an entrenched ‘agent mafia’ just to enter the building and process their applications, with reports of malfunctioning token machines adding to the chaos.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that even crossing the office’s threshold incurred an unofficial ‘tax,’ suggesting systemic corruption. Disturbingly, citizens presented evidence of paying agents off-the-books to expedite their passport applications, a practice apparently condoned by office staff.
The situation escalated as the Director and Assistant Director of the Passport Office were unable to provide satisfactory answers to pressing questions about these corrupt practices. Minister Naqvi, visibly angered by the conditions, declared, “Without the collusion of the staff, such extortion would be impossible,” and immediately ordered the replacement of the Director and Assistant Director, initiating a thorough departmental investigation.
During his visit, Minister Naqvi directly engaged with citizens, listening to a barrage of complaints, especially from elderly applicants who expressed significant distress. Common grievances included widespread demands for bribes, with citizens lamenting that “money greases the wheels of the passport process.”
Minister Naqvi reassured the public, stating, “I am here to address and rectify these complaints. Ensuring efficient service in public offices is our responsibility.” The citizens, in turn, expressed their hope in Naqvi’s track record and his commitment to reform, reflecting a collective expectation for substantial change under his oversight.
