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Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi inaugurated “SHIKRA” on Monday at the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. This newly developed system promises to revolutionise the monitoring of passport applications through real-time tracking and advanced analytics.
Introducing SHIKRA
SHIKRA stands for Secure Hybrid Intelligence for Knowledge-Based Response Analytics. The government designed this system to modernise the entire passport lifecycle, from application tracking to final printing. During his visit, Minister Naqvi received a detailed briefing on the system’s capabilities. Key features include a 24/7 monitoring room and an active call centre, both aimed at significantly improving service accessibility for citizens.
The directorate has implemented major technological upgrades to streamline operations. Notably, the passport printing process is now fully automated using German machinery. This integration eliminates human intervention, ensuring faster and more efficient output. Additionally, the emergency travel document system has gone digital, which directly improves the speed of critical services.
Smart Monitoring & Compliance
SHIKRA utilises an integrated digital dashboard to evaluate daily performance. The system automatically detects congestion at passport offices, allowing for immediate responses to overcrowding. Furthermore, a network management system tracks the status of machinery and identifies backlogs to ensure smooth workflows.
Minister Naqvi expressed confidence in these reforms. He stated that the new system aligns Pakistan’s passport services with international standards and ensures strict compliance with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) regulations.
