The federal government plans to establish a public facilitation centre in Karachi bringing passport, national identity card and other Interior Ministry services together at one location.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced the initiative during a visit to the ministry’s office on I.I. Chundrigar Road on September 29. He directed officials to prepare a master plan for the project within 10 days, according to the Press Information Department.
The proposed centre would provide counters for passports, computerised national identity cards, arms licences and no-objection certificates, along with services handled by other organisations under the Interior Ministry.
The government intends to make these services more accessible by reducing the need for residents to visit separate offices for different documents and approvals. Bringing multiple departments together could simplify routine administrative work for people using federal services in Karachi.
The historic Karachi Cotton Exchange building on I.I. Chundrigar Road has been identified as the proposed location, according to Dawn. The property has been the subject of an ownership dispute involving several organisations, with proceedings reported before the Sindh High Court.
The project is currently in the planning stage. Officials have been asked to develop the master plan, after which arrangements for service counters and the facility’s operation can be taken forward.
The Interior Ministry has not announced an opening date or detailed service hours. Until the centre begins operations, residents can continue using existing government offices and service channels for passports, identity documents and other applications.