Pakistan launches 'Shikra' system for real-time passport tracking

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday visited the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, where he formally inaugurated 'Shikra', a state-of-the-art monitoring system designed to track passport applications, printing, and departmental performance in real time.

As part of the upgrade, a 24/7 monitoring room and a call centre have been made operational at the DG Immigration and Passports. 

On the minister’s directives, the system for issuing Emergency Travel Documents has also been fully digitised.

Officials briefed Minister Naqvi in detail on the new Secure Hybrid Intelligence for Knowledge-Based Response Analytics (Shikra) system.

The interior minister praised the performance of the DG Immigration and Passports and his team for introducing a modern, technology-driven monitoring network.

He said Pakistan’s passport system has now been aligned with those of the world’s leading countries.

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

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

”Naqvi added that the government’s aim is to provide citizens with fast, safe, and globally standardised services.

He noted that the upgraded monitoring framework would further enhance the department’s efficiency.

The interior minister also highlighted improvements in passport security features, which have been upgraded to meet ICAO international standards.

He noted that new automatic German printing machines have increased production capacity, eliminated human intervention in printing, and improved overall reliability.

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

Officials briefed him on the digital integrated dashboard, which enables daily operational monitoring and staff performance evaluation.

Under the new system, passport office crowd levels will be detected automatically, while the Network Management System will track backlogs and machinery status.