Pakistani citizens looking to secure new passports are facing a bizarre hurdle in the process — lamination paper shortage.

Reports say the country has been hit by a massive scarity of lamination paper that has led to a nationwide shortage of the travel document. Thousands who need to fly out of the country for study, work, or leisure are now struggling to obtain the green-coloured book with no end to their ordeal in sight, a report by the Express Tribune said.

Students in Pakistan are stuck at home with approved visas to pursue degrees in UK or Italy, waiting on their passports to arrive. Many are scared the endless wait might lead to them losing this opportunities, threatening to shatter their aspirations.

“My student visa for Italy was recently approved and I had to be in the country in October. However, the unavailability of a passport robbed me of an opportunity to leave,” Hira, a student, said.

The country, which imports lamination papers from France, faced similar delay in printing in 2013 due to the The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P) owing money to printers and a lack of lamination papers.

Qadir Yar Tiwana, the Director General for Media of the Ministry of Interior, assured that the government was trying to end the crisis as soon as possible. “The situation will soon be under control and passport issuance will continue as normal,” he said.

Many residents complained of receiving messages from the DGI&P telling them their passport was ready for pickup but when they reached the passport office they were turned away. “Ever since September the passport office has been stating that your passport will come next week but multiple weeks have passed and they keep repeating the same,” said Muhammad Imran, a resident of Peshawar.

Reportedly, the passport offices in Pakistani cities are also clueless about when the process could be restarted. A senior officer Peshawar passport office, told The Express Tribune, that they could presently only process 12 to 13 passports per day as compared to 3,000 to 4,000 passports per day earlier. Their best guess? Another month or two of wait.

Gold buying on Dhanteras, Diwali 2023: Should you buy gold this Dhanteras 2023? Is it a good investment bet? Historically, gold investments made around Dhanteras have yielded double-digit returns over the long term.

Dunki is one of the most awaited Bollywood movie releases this year. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film features Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and others in key roles. Amidst Diwali festivities, the makers have now unveiled two new posters from the film.

One poster showcases Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu’s onscreen chemistry. The two can be seen on a scooter. They are joined by Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover who is on a bicycle. Check it out here:

The next poster sees the four characters in a classroom setting, joined by Vicky Kaushal who surprised fans with his appearance in Dunki Drop 1, the film’s first teaser. Check it out here: 

Sharing the posters, Shah Rukh Khan took to his social media handles and wrote, “Bina aisi family ke, kaise hogi Diwali aur kaisa hoga New Year? Asli maza toh saath chalne, saath rukne, aur saath hi celebrate karne mein hai… Dunki ki poori duniya hai yeh ullu de patthe (Without such a family, how will we celebrate Diwali and New Year? The real fun is in walking together, staying together, and celebrating together… This is the whole world of Dunki, these people)! The #DunkiDrop1 is out now. #Dunki releases worldwide in cinemas this Christmas 2023.”

Dunki is set to release in cinemas this Christmas. The film’s plot revolves around the concept of Donkey Flight, a method of illegal migration.