Taliban asks Afghan passport applicants to apply online to avoid overcrowding: Report

On Saturday, the Taliban asked Afghan passport applicants to apply online in order to minimise overcrowding. According to Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban's interim government, the decision has been taken to prevent overcrowding and problem faced by the people, ANI reported citing Pajhwok Afghan News. He added that the Passport Department website is still operational, but letters and paper applications will not be accepted. Since the takeover by the Taliban in mid-August, most Aghan nationals intend to flee the country fearing repercussions from the group and dreading the previous Taliban regime, the report stated. 

Last week, Passport Director Alam Gul Haqqani announced the creation of a new online form, which will supersede the previous one. Earlier this month, the passport-issuing procedure began in 14 more provinces, bringing the total number of provinces to 32 including, Paktia, Ghor, Kandahar, Herat, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Parwan, Kapisa, Logar, Khost, Balkh, Maidan Wardak, Daikundi, Ghazni, Faryab, Badakhshan and Nuristan provinces. According to Haqqani, all 32 Afghan provinces will be able to grant passports to applicants. It's worth noting that passport services in Afghanistan were only restored on October 5, after a month-long suspension following the Taliban's takeover.

According to Saeed Khosti, head of the Interior Ministry's communications department, new passports would be issued with their old title of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for the time being, TOLO News had reported in October. The report stated that more than 1,70,000 people applied for passports in less than two months under the Taliban regime. Since the reopening of offices in the war-torn country, over 125,000 passports have been granted, claimed the passport department. 

Passports to be sent to Afghans residing abroad: Passport Department

On November 30, Haqqani informed that the department had sent the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at least 20,000 passports to be distributed to Afghans residing abroad whose passports had expired. "We will make every effort to send passports to migrants living in other countries. About 20,000 passports have been delivered to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with 5,000 of them being sent to Saudi Arabia soon," he was quoted as saying by TOLO News. Notably, after seizing control of Afghanistan and announcing an interim government, the Taliban is also struggling to gain international recognition.

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