Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered the immediate removal of all staff at the Regional Passport Office in Gujranwala after finding the facility shut down and empty during an unannounced visit, well before its official closing time.
Naqvi arrived at the office at around 4pm, an hour before its scheduled 4:30pm closing time, and found the premises being cleaned, entry to citizens suspended, and staff missing.
Media reports said that only one employee was present, and he could not answer any of the questions asked by the Interior Minister about why the office had closed early.
Visibly angered by the state of the facility, Naqvi questioned how a public service office could be run this way while citizens were being turned away at the door.
The Interior Minister said negligence in the delivery of citizen services would not be tolerated and directed disciplinary action against staff found responsible.
During the same visit, Naqvi toured the 24/7 mega NADRA centre in Gujranwala and announced that passport services would now also be made available there.
Citizens at the centre expressed satisfaction with the facilities on offer.
The Interior Minister instructed staff to guide citizens fully and provide complete information, and ordered on-the-spot resolution of complaints raised during the visit.
