The passport office has announced considerable hikes to the rates for the fast-track category of passports, which will take effect on May 8.

The cost of a 36-page Machine Readable (MR) passport with a five-year validity period has increased to Rs12,500, per the most recent notification. In a similar vein, a 72-page passport valid for five years will now cost Rs18,500, and a 100-page passport will cost Rs 23,000.

In addition, the costs for MR passports with 36, 72, and 100 pages and a 10-year validity term have gone up.

The passport office has also added new costs for expedited processing in addition to these changes. The fast track payments for passports with 100, 72, and 36 pages will be Rs25,200, Rs32,000, and Rs16,200, respectively.

The government is working to guarantee that residents receive efficient services and expedite passport issue procedures, which includes revising fees.

However, the passport office in Garden Town, Lahore, did not start night shifts as per the notification that was sent out, even though the Passport and Immigration Department had ordered passport offices to remain open twenty-four hours a day.

Citizens who depend on quick passport services are frustrated that the night shift has not been implemented. Many had expected the longer hours to relieve some of the traffic and lengthy waits that were usually seen during regular business hours.

Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the interior minister, recently declared that passport services will henceforth be available in Karachi and Lahore around-the-clock.

Minister Naqvi announced the launch of this programme on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting how it might completely transform public access to passport facilities. This decision is a major step in the right direction towards expediting passport services and resolving citizens' ongoing difficulties obtaining necessary papers.

In his tweet, Minister Naqvi underlined how crucial this move is and how it would enable easy access to passport services whenever you need them. Beginning on May 7, the interior minister made sure that at least one passport office is open twenty-four hours a day in every city.

The Passport and Immigration Department sent a statement in compliance with this direction, detailing three shifts for passport offices in Lahore and Karachi: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., and 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.