At the NADRA mega centers in Sandah, Peco Road, and Shimla Pahari, three new passport offices have been built in Lahore. These offices are located in the city.

People who are now able to take advantage of simplified services have expressed their satisfaction with this initiative, which was carried out under the direction of the chairman of the NADRA and the director general of passports.

In the past, there were five passport offices in operation in Lahore. These offices were located in Shahdara, Quaid-e-Azam Interchange, Raiwind, and Garden Town for example. With the addition of the three additional offices, the total number has climbed to eight. This has resulted in a major reduction in the workload that is placed on the facilities that are already in place, as well as better accessibility for those those who are applying for passports.

Offices at Sandah and Peco Road are open until 10 o’clock at night, whereas the Shimla Pahari office is open around the clock around the clock.
Services that are integrated: These facilities now provide services for both identity cards and passports under one roof by offering integrated services.
Residents have voiced their contentment, underscoring the convenience of being able to access a variety of services from a single location. “This is a great initiative; it saves time and makes the process more efficient,” according to a particular candidate.

In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for passport services in the city, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave the edict that these new facilities should be established.

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The Directorate of Immigration and Passports, in the meantime, made an announcement regarding the expansion of its expedited passport service to a total of forty-seven cities across Pakistan, bringing the overall number of cities to forty-six. Additionally, a notification pertaining to this matter has been distributed.

It was previously only available in big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta; however, in order to improve the convenience of the general population, the fast track service will now be made available in a number of other places.

Individuals who live in Attock, Chakwal, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mianwali, and Bhakkar are now able to take advantage of this service for accelerated passport issue, as stated in the announcement.

Additionally, the expansion encompasses the districts of Kohat, Swabi, Swat, DI Khan, Bannu, Hangu, Abbottabad, and Haripur in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A number of important cities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), such as Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kotli, and Rawalakot, have also been made available to customers with the service.

A significant gain of 0.5% from its previous estimate of 2.3% in June 2024, the World Bank has updated its forecast for the growth of Pakistan’s gross domestic product for the fiscal year 2024-25 to 2.8%.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a growth rate of 3%, and our prediction falls short of that projection. Additionally, the government’s goal growth rate of 3.6% is lower than this prediction.

Pakistan’s growth is still relatively slow in comparison to that of its neighbors in the region, as stated in the World Bank’s World Economic Prospects Report 2025.

With a growth rate of 6.7%, India is anticipated to top the South Asian region. Bhutan, with a growth rate of 7.2%, Maldives, with a growth rate of 4.7%, Nepal, with a growth rate of 5.1%, Bangladesh, with a growth rate of 4.1%, and Sri Lanka, with a growth rate of 3.5% should follow.

The findings of the analysis reveal that although Pakistan’s economy is showing signs of minor improvement, it is still confronted with substantial obstacles. The nation’s foreign exchange reserves have been strengthened as a result of the fact that inflation, which had reached double digits in previous years, has now fallen to single digits for the first time since 2021.

Following the elections that took place in February 2024, the administration has implemented stringent fiscal and monetary policies, which have contributed to a reduction in uncertainty. This improvement can be linked to these policies.

It is anticipated that Pakistan’s per capita income will continue to be low until the year 2026, according to the World Bank, despite the fact that some favorable improvements have occurred. Not only does this reflect broader regional patterns, but it also underscores the fact that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also facing comparable issues.

The rising weight of debt was another topic that was brought up in the report. It is anticipated that interest payments will increase in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The ratio of Pakistan’s debt to its gross domestic product is expected to steadily decrease, assuming that the government continues to uphold its commitment to the existing loan arrangement with the International Monetary Fund. A warning was issued by the World Bank, stating that any deviation from the program might have a significant impact on the economic operations of the country. The World Bank emphasized the significance of complying to the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Despite the fact that the country’s inflation rate has been moderated and its reserves have been strengthened, experts have pointed out that the implementation of structural reforms and the management of external debt are the most important factors in determining the country’s long-term economic stability.

According to a report published by the World Bank, Pakistan needs to provide consistent policies and a stable macroeconomic environment in order to maintain investor confidence.

In accordance with the directives issued by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the National Highway Authority is to ensure that all broken protection fences on highways are repaired as quickly as possible within a month and to take strict punishment against those who steal or destroy the fences.

On various occasions, the Prime Minister presided over review meetings that were focused on issues concerning the National Highway Authority (NHA) and safety measures on the National Highways and Motorways.

The importance of the nation’s roadways and highways as the foundation of national development and the economy of the country was underlined by Shehbaz Sharif.

According to him, one of the most important goals of the administration is to ensure that all of the travel facilities have the greatest possible facilities across the country.

The work that is associated with the construction of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, the remaining portions of the Ratodero-Gwadar Motorway, the Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway, the Karachi-Quetta-Chaman National Highway, and the reconstruction of some portions of the Karakoram Highway was to be reviewed by a steering committee that he directed to be established through his directive.

It was also directed by the Prime Minister that the development work on these significant national projects should be completed as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.