IEA to start issuing passports again after months of delays

Afghanistan authorities will start issuing passports to its citizens again on Tuesday after months of delays, the Afghanistan passport office confirmed.

Alam Gul Haqqani, the passport office’s acting head, told reporters in Kabul they would issue between 5,000 and 6,000 passports a day and women would be employed to handle the processing of female citizens’ documents.

“The passports of 25,000 applicants are ready to be issued,” Haqqani said.

Officials said that there are nearly one million printed passports ready for distribution.

Saeed Khosti, head of the media department of the interior ministry says that passports are currently being distributed under the current title (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan).

All female employees of the passport department have been asked to return to their jobs, said Khosti.

Businessmen and students had complained about the suspension of distribution of passports and ID cards.

Many Afghans, including those trying to flee the country, have had their travel plans hampered by delays in issuing passports.

The process had already begun to slow before the IEA took control of the country in August.