Passport services at Pakistani embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were temporarily suspended due to a technical issue in the central passport system managed from Islamabad. This disruption affected routine services such as new passport issuance and renewals for overseas Pakistanis.
Embassies Confirm Service Interruption
The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and the Embassy in Riyadh officially informed applicants that passport-related services were not available during the system outage. The suspension was described as temporary, and citizens were advised to wait for further updates from official channels.
Restoration of Passport System
After technical teams resolved the issue at the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in Islamabad, services at both embassies were restored. Passport operations resumed shortly after the system was stabilized, allowing normal processing to continue again.
Impact on Overseas Pakistanis
The brief suspension caused delays and inconvenience for a large number of Pakistani citizens living in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Many applicants who were in the process of renewing or applying for passports experienced backlogs due to the interruption in services.
Efforts to Clear Backlog
Following the resumption of services, embassy staff have begun working to clear the pending applications. Authorities have also indicated that steps are being taken to improve system reliability to avoid similar disruptions in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, passport services at Pakistani embassies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia were temporarily halted due to a technical fault but have now been fully restored. The situation is expected to normalize as pending applications are processed and services return to regular operation.