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Updated December 6th, 2021 at 09:59 IST

Afghanistan to resume passport issuance services in 32 provinces, except Kabul & Helmand

After over 2 weeks of hiatus in passport-issuing services due to 'technical issues', the process will resume in 32 provinces in Afghanistan from Monday.

Reported by: Dipaneeta Das
Afghanistan
IMAGE: Unsplash (representative) | Image:self
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After over two weeks of hiatus in passport-issuing and distribution services due to 'technical issues', the process will resume in 32 provinces in Afghanistan from Monday, Director of Passport Department, Alam Gul Haqqani said at a presser at Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) on Sunday. Resumption of services in the additional 14 provinces - Farah, Nimruz, Badghis, Paktika, Laghman, Kunar, Takhar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Jowzjan, Samangan, Baghlan, Bamyan and Panjshir - were announced on Sunday after at least 17 provinces began issuing passports on Saturday (Dec 4).

Bringing a sigh of relief to Afghans who want to leave the country for medical and other purposes, passport services will now be available in 32 provinces including, Balkh, Paktia, Kandahar, Kunduz, Herat, Nangarhar, Khost, Parwan, Kapisa, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Daikundi, Faryab, Ghor, Nuristan and Badakhshan provinces, TOLO News reported.

However, as per Haqqani's Sunday statement, services in the capital city of Kabul and Helmand province will continue to remain suspended due to "technical problems." "We have provided most of the equipment needed for the Kabul department and other provinces; we bought some equipment and the process will start in the coming days in Kabul," Haqqani informed, as reported by TOLO.

US-led forces destroyed MOI data

Assuring that efforts are underway to restore technical issues in Kabul, Haqqani on Saturday said, "We purchased new machines. Some of them arrived and some will arrive. Whenever the machines are provided, we will resume passport issuing in the capital." Blaming the delay in the resumption of passport services on US-led foreign troops, Haqqani had earlier stated that during their withdrawal the forces had extracted data of the interim Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOI) Afghanistan.

“The biometric system was damaged. They have taken the data with them. This is a big betrayal of the country. We have been trying to repair the systems which have been damaged by the foreign forces,” TOLO reported, quoting the passport department head.

On the other hand, It is pertinent to mention that the passport services in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan resumed only in the capital city on October 5, at least a month-long hiatus after the Taliban takeover.

As per information from Saeed Khosti, head of media department in the Interior Ministry, for the time being, new passports will be issued with their previous title: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, TOLO News had reported on October 5. Around 1,70,000 applicants had already filed for passports in nearly two months under the Taliban regime. So far, over 1,25,000 passports have been issued since passport offices resumed services.

Taliban govt. to issue passports for Afghan citizens abroad

On November 30, the Passport Department directorate, Haqqani, confirmed that the department had submitted at least 20,000 passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to distribute to Afghans living abroad whose passports have expired, TOLO news reported. “We will attempt to send passports to migrants living abroad. We have sent about 20,000 passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 5,000 0f these will be sent to Saudi Arabia soon”, Gul Haqqani had said.

(Image: Unsplash (representative)

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Published December 6th, 2021 at 09:59 IST

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