eVisa and Pakistani Passport?

Hello, my wife currently has a Pakistani passport and tried to apply for eVisa but the app can't scan the passport because her passport is not a "ePassport" and doesn't have a chip inside it.

I noticed the Pakistani government have launched ePassports and my wifes passport is due to expire mid next year anyway, so I was thinking of renewing the passport online, hoping she gets a new ePassport and then register for eVisa after that.

However, to my complete surprise my understanding is that even if you apply for a new passport now, they still don't give you a ePassport if you apply online.

So my questions are:
1. Surely I am not the only one in this situation, does anyone else with a Pakistani passport have this problem - how are you able to get a ePassport?
2. If we renew and they give us the same passport without a chip, how do we register for eVisa since the app doesn't have any other option in it?
3. Do we have to register for eVisa before 31 December, or can we register after as well providing we don't travel?