In a shocking revelation, it has been discovered that approximately 12,000 Afghan nationals have used fake Pakistani documents to travel to Saudi Arabia, with many dumping their Pakistani passports upon arrival.
During a briefing at the Standing Committee on Interior, DG Passport Mustafa Jamal Qazi disclosed that these individuals used fraudulent Pakistani passports to enter Saudi Arabia. The fake passports have now been cancelled, and Saudi authorities have deported these individuals back to Afghanistan.
According to DG Passport, a significant number of fake passports were issued in Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggering an investigation. In response, NADRA’s Legal Member revealed that major security breaches had occurred in the 2023 system, prompting the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and leading to tighter system security.
The authorities also shared that 35 officers from the Passport and Immigration Department have been dismissed for their involvement in issuing fake passports. Additionally, NADRA has registered 34 FIRs, verifying 7,000 national identity cards to prevent further fraudulent activity. NADRA’s policy also aims to address issues of Afghan nationals being incorporated into the national identity system.
This incident underscores the ongoing challenges in securing Pakistan’s passport and immigration systems amidst growing concerns over identity fraud.
