The decision of the government of Pakistan to issue passports with 10-year validity from September 15 will be implemented in the UAE as a pilot project, Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE disclosed on Monday.

“I have already approached the Interior Ministry for this purpose,” Jamil Ahmed Khan told Khaleej Times.

He was commenting on the announcement made by his country’s Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik to extend the validity of the passports to ten years instead of the current five years.

Jamil said that he would meet Malik and Secretary of Interior In Islamabad in the first week of September to follow up and ensure its earliest implementation in the UAE.

“We have a large population of 1.2 million Pakistanis in the UAE, we offer the best consular services in the Gulf region that have received recognition, and we have the equipment and the skills to implement the decision as a pilot project in the UAE,” Jamil said.

Malik had made the announcement over the weekend while launching the Integrated Border Management at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

The minister said that all passports that would be issued after September 15 will have 10-year validity.

“We have requested immigration experts to give advice on improving passport system of the country,” Malik said in his televised address on Saturday.

Until early 1970s, Pakistan issued passport books with ten-year validity, and later it was issued for ten years but renewable after five years.

However, in early 1980’s the government decided to issue fresh and new passport books every five years.

Members of the Pakistani community in the UAE have welcomed Islamabad’s announcement. According to them, it has been a long-awaited and pressing demand of overseas Pakistanis that has finally been addressed.

“We welcome the move of the government. I call it an Eid gift for the nation,” said Mohammed Iqbal, President of Sindhi-Baloch Welfare Association.

Iqbal, a community social worker, said more than a decade ago the government decided to provide passport books with more pages at an additional fee. “But we opposed that and wanted long validity passports than those with additional pages at extra charges. In fact we demand increased pages with extended validity at the same current fee.”

Currently normal passport books are issued with 36 pages at a fee of Dh160.

Haji Daraz Khan, another community member, called the move a step forward for the benefit not only for overseas Pakistanis but those back home.

He said: “We are a big number of poor Pakistanis working in remote areas and find it difficult to come to Abu Dhabi and Dubai for our passport issuance even once in five years.

“My advice is to provide the community with mobile services from the embassy and the consulate to enable these poor people to renew their travel documents withouthassle.”

He said a larger number of people back home who live in towns and villages hundreds of miles away from their nearest passport offices will also benefit from this decision.

Chaudhry Arshad, another resident, called it a great relief for the labourers working in remote areas.

“Most of our people here are blue-collared workers and cannot read or write. There were instances where people had their passports expired for months and even a year, and realised that only when going for visa or labour card renewal. Now at least they have ten years not to worry about the passport validity.”

He also suggested the number of pages of passport books be also increased as it will help drivers regularly travelling between the borders of the UAE and neighbouring countries as part of their job.

Ali Mohammed Burfat, another social worker, along with other social workers and community members, has been campaigning for this for over a decade and finally their labour has proved fruitful.

“It is nothing less than a dream come true. If not wrong, we have been campaigning for passports with extended validity for over 15 years.

“We have been meeting visiting ministers, requesting and writing to the highest authorities including the Prime Minister House and the Presidency for this over the years, and finally God has heard our calls. I congratulate all our Pakistani brothers and sisters for this,” he added.