Cheema issued Pakistani passports to several foreign nationals: sources

An Accountability Court had granted physical remand of the accused for 12 days to NAB over corruption charges.

According to sources, Shafqat Cheema during his overseas postings provided Pakistani passports to scores of Indians and Bangladesh nationals. During his posting as second secretary at Pakistani embassy in Spain in 2004 he was allegedly involved in human smuggling, sources said.

He had contacts with agents Khurram Shahzad, Amjad Malta, Sartaj, Yar Mohammad and Umar, sources said.

Cheema was in charge of the Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal desk at the ministry and was accused of sending a number of illegal migrants abroad against heavy bribes, sources added.