Business Desk 
Jan 27, 2026
Pakistan on Monday launched 'Shikra', a state-of-the-art monitoring system designed to track passport applications, printing, and departmental performance in real time.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said: “With this new system, real-time monitoring of passport applications and deliveries — both within Pakistan and abroad — will now be possible.
"As part of the upgrade, a 24/7 monitoring room and a call centre have been made operational at the DG Immigration and Passports," added the minister.
Moreover, the system for issuing Emergency Travel Documents has also been fully digitised. Officials briefed the minister on the Secure Hybrid Intelligence for Knowledge-Based Response Analytics (Shikra) system, which integrates operational data into a digital dashboard for daily monitoring and staff performance evaluation.
The government aims to provide netizens with fast, safe, and globally standardised services. “Every stage, from application submission to final delivery, will be closely supervised," said Naqvi, adding that Pakistan's passport system has now been aligned with those of the world’s leading countries.
The interior minister also highlighted improvements in passport security features, which have been upgraded to meet ICAO international standards.
He noted that new automatic German printing machines have increased production capacity, eliminated human intervention in printing, and improved overall reliability.
Under the new system, passport office crowd levels will be detected automatically, while the Network Management System will track backlogs and machinery status.
