Pakistan airports to have one-window clearance system with e-gates, smart scanners

Pakistan is goint to introduce a one-window airport clearance system aimed at speeding up passenger processing and reducing long queues.

The proposed system would bring together multiple immigration and security checks under a “one-window” operation, using e-gates, biometric scanners and modern screening technology. The idea was discussed in detail during a high-level meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and attended by senior officials including Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Muhammad Ali, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar, and others.

Officials agreed on the need for closer coordination among all agencies operating at airports and the replacement of multiple inspection points with a single, streamlined system.

“Unified checking on a single scanner by all institutions will save time and facilitate passengers,” Naqvi was quoted as saying, adding that the government wanted to reduce congestion through better inter-agency coordination.

The meeting decided to introduce joint counters along with an integrated checking mechanism. Plans also include installing advanced baggage and document scanners to speed up verification and improve detection capabilities.

E-gates using biometric passport scanning and facial recognition are also expected to be rolled out, with officials saying clearance times could drop from around 3–5 minutes to less than a minute per passenger once fully operational.

Progress on the installation of these systems was reviewed during the session, with initial implementation likely to begin at Islamabad International Airport.

Officials also said the new system would be connected to the FIA’s exit control list, passenger name records, and Interpol databases to identify high-risk travellers in real time.