Escape Pakistan

Hi there reader!

The purpose of this blog is to list down all the information required to escape Pakistan and pursue a dignified and secure life.

I would list down procedures I bared to apply for my immigration processing like getting:

1. Birth certificate
2. Passport in Lahore
   
3. Police certificate
4. Driving license
5. Notorizing documents
6. Nikkah nama (marriage certificate) registeration
7. Verification through Ministry Foreign Affair of Pakistan
8. Degree validation through HEC

and more...

Some of the procedure I did not go through for them I would add first hand tales of accounts from my close circle. These processes are applicable and valid for Lahore.

Moreover you can contribute your story which I would publish here to assist more and more people.

Have a nice day.

How to get Birth Certificate

Recommended Requirements:
1. Birth certificate form
2. Father's NIC
3. Mother's NIC
Your NIC would not be considered since birth certificate application is submitted on behalf of your parents.
NOTE: Make sure you were registered within a week of your birth. You need to verify that from your parents.
This registration date (Tareekh-e-Indraaj) is very very important. If this date does not exist in Governments database it would be a problem. And for every problem there is a cost. So be prepared.
1. Go to your area's Nazim office. (If you weren't born in Cantt area)

2. Provide them with any of the above documents.
Cost: Rs. 1200/- (Negotiable to very less extent since 800-900 is valid fee)
Time: Within a day or 2
Else
1. Go to City Town Hall. Mother place of all records and information.


View Town Hall / City Hall in a larger map2. 
Ask for directions under the pepal tree and person there would point you to the right person.
3. That person would collect all required documents, verify if your registration date exists in the computer records and inform you.
4. If all goes smooth, you will have your birth certificate in:
Cost: Rs. 1200/-
Time: 3-4 Days
NOTE: If registration date is not found, the cost would go up 2-3 times but negotiable.
Following is how the birth certificate now looks like:

How to get Police Character Certificate

Getting police certificate in Lahore is amazingly easy and simple.

Here are simple steps:
Requirement:
1. 4 passport sized photographs
2. An application to SSP Police explaining where you intend to go along with all the address that you have lived. (can be hand written)

3. Valid Passport
4. NADRA National Identification Card
5. Police Certificate Form available at SSP office



STEP 1. Fill the Police Certificate Form and Go to SSP Office, Lahore. Location near Government College, Lahore, Multan Road:



View SSP Office in a larger map

STEP 2. After entering the premises, turn right and proceed to a big room.


STEP 3. Submit Police Certificate Form, photos and application. The personal would give you 4-5 days time. That is the normal time and it can be brought down to 1 day if you have approach.


STEP 4. A police officer would visit you at your home (might call before coming) in a couple of days. He would fill Police Certificate Form by asking you questions.


STEP 5. Go to SSP office after 4-5 days to the same room.


STEP 6. Find you application and get it stamped and submitted to a batch. This batch would appear in front of SSP Lahore.


STEP 7. Make a queue and go to SSP's office, who would call your name and sign the certificate.


STEP 8. You have a Police Certificate for immigration.

How to get Pakistani Passport

This post applies to Pakistani citizens residing in Lahore. Who have woken up (in time) to realize that escape is imminent.

Pakistani passport is now digitized meaning that unfortunate people like me who had old passport would be required to re-create it. Either way there is no special route for people who have old passport same process applies.

Things you need:

1. Around Rs. 3000/- cash.

2. Identification card with couple of photocopies.

Here is the listing of steps involved:

STEP 1) Around 9 am proceed to Barkat Market in Garden Town as below:

Here you can find National Bank of Pakistan:

View National Bank, Barket Market in a larger map

Either

a) Find a bank guard outside giving empty forms to be filled and deposited on the booth outside and yes through that long line!!!

Time: 10-15 Minutes

Cost: Rs. 2230 something passport fee + Rs. 70 (negotiable) agent fee = Rs. 2300

OR

b) Engage an agent (guys sitting on wooden benches) to get you the form and pay the dues while you sit in the shade.

Time: depending on the queue.

Cost: Rs. 2230 something passport fee

Get a stamped receipt which is valid for like 2-3 months.

Now you can either go home or move to the Passport office.

STEP 2) Passport office is located at the back of Himayat-e-Islam college for women in Garden Town, Lahore. It is a walking distance from National Bank or Barkat market. Car park is a big problem. I would recommend to park it in front of a college on the same road as passport office (oh and its free). Find the office location below:

View Passport Office in a larger map

Here you can:

Either

a. Show the police dude the receipt and enter the premises to find a queue to the right. Some part of the queue is in shade others are not so lucky.

OR

b. Find agents outside the premises. They can be found roaming rather stalking for clients or people sitting on benches. Agent would ask for Rs. 700+ (totally negotiable (recommended!) ) . Bargain, and whatever rocks your boat finalize. Time 15 minutes wait in your car or under shade in lush green park.

Output of step 2 should be a digital token. This token is everything do not loose this! This token would also have a date on which you have to visit passport office again.

STEP 3) At the passport office. Enter the premises and proceed straight forward into a big room with a lot of people. Luckily this room is air conditioned and have enough seats to get you seated. No agents are involved in this step but approach applies (if you have highly ranked someone at a highly ranked seat). Here everything goes in sequence. Your token number is called out and displayed (if I remember).

So the steps are simple 4 booths and you have to go through each of them, in sequence.

i. Get your fingers scanned.

ii. Get your digital photographed taken (yeah finally you dont need to take

those passport size photos)

iii. Get your demographics verified (vigilance is required there may be

discrepancies). This data is pulled from NADRA.

iv. Get a date from some officer. Don't know why this booth exists. Nothing much to

do there just go the officer he sees you and assign a date to pick your

passport up.

Go home.

Whatever the date is mentioned to collect your passport there is a high (98%) chance it would be late 3-4 days. Mine was late a week and I found that out after 3 visits.

So you go the passport office on mentioned date + cushion days. Show the police dude your receipt. Enter the premises and move to the extreme right, past the queue getting tokens. There you would find a booth and some people already there claiming their passports. Passport would be handed out in batch of 10 so the sooner you initiate, if not already done, the batch the better. Batch would contain your receipt. And if your passport is ready you can collect it by showing you original ID card else they would assign you a new date.

There you go, you have your digital passport. Verify the information on in since sometimes it gets mis-printed.

This information is valid as of May 2009. I highly doubt there would have been any change in the process/system.