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.
