Pakistan launches real-time passport monitoring system ‘Shikra’ to improve services

Dubai: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday inaugurated ‘Shikra’, a state-of-the-art real-time monitoring system at the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and service delivery.

The system allows authorities to track passport applications, printing processes and departmental performance in real time, according to Geo News.

As part of the upgrade, a 24/7 monitoring room and a dedicated call centre have also been made operational, while the issuance of Emergency Travel Documents has 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.

Naqvi praised the department’s efforts, saying Pakistan’s passport system had now been aligned with global standards.

Closely supervised

“With this system, real-time monitoring of passport applications and deliveries — both within Pakistan and abroad — will now be possible,” he said.

“Every stage, from application submission to final delivery, will be closely supervised.”

The interior minister said the government’s goal was to provide citizens with fast, secure and internationally standardised services.

He also highlighted improvements in passport security features, which have been upgraded to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Naqvi noted that new automatic German printing machines had increased production capacity, eliminated human intervention in printing, and improved reliability.

During his visit, he toured the e-monitoring room, call centre, forensic laboratory and modern production unit.

Under the new system, crowd levels at passport offices will be detected automatically, while a Network Management System will monitor backlogs and machine performance to ensure smoother operations.