Interior Ministry starts probe into issuance of 12,000 fake passports

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has formally started a probe into the issuance of over 12,000 fake Pakistani passports, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The inquiry committee of the Interior Ministry started a probe into the issuance of over 12,096 fake Pakistani passports. The committee received the lists of those passengers who travelled to foreign countries using fake Pakistani passports.

The inquiry committee will also receive records of the Afghan refugees from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to complete its scrutiny process.

Related: Committee formed to probe issuance of 12,000 fake Pakistani passports

Yesterday, the Ministry of Interior constituted a five-member committee to investigate the matter related to the issuance of 12,000 fake Pakistani passports, recovered by Saudi Arabia authorities from Afghan nationals.

Saudi Arabia authorities had said they have successfully retrieved over 12,096 Pakistani passports from Afghan nationals – a development which raised concerns about the performance of national institutions.

According to reports, Riyadh authorities have notified Islamabad about this matter and handed over the alleged fake passports to the Pakistani embassy.

Related: FO orders probe after 1600 Afghans issued visas on bogus Swedish cards

Later, the interior ministry constituted a high-level five-member committee to investigate the matter.

The Director-General (DG) Passport and Immigration will head the committee, which comprises representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and NADRA. Assistant Director Admin Passport will be secretary of the committee.

This committee’s primary responsibilities include identifying the individuals involved in the issuance of counterfeit passports and compiling a list of those implicated. Subsequent legal actions will be taken against the individuals in accordance with the country’s laws.

The inquiry committee will also give suggestions on how such threats can be prevented in the future. The interior ministry’s inquiry committee will present a report to the Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti within 15 days.