Particle.news

Pakistan Extends Foreign Office Consular Hours to 8am–8pm

The move aims to cut wait times and improve access to passport and document services for working citizens and overseas Pakistanis.

Overview

  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched an evening shift for consular services on Monday, extending continuous weekday hours to 8:00am–8:00pm at its Islamabad headquarters.
  • Officials published a public notice and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the change on X to confirm the new schedule and explain the operational rollout.
  • The extended hours cover passport processing, document attestation, verification and related consular functions that previously ran only during standard government hours.
  • The public notice sets token-issuing windows for the morning and evening shifts to manage queues and reduce waiting times for applicants.
  • Officials say the change is an administrative move to make services more citizen-focused and convenient, which could lower travel and time costs for working people and the Pakistani diaspora while preserving existing consular policies.