ISLAMABAD – Over the past five years, more than 12,000 Afghan nationals were apprehended while attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia using fake Pakistani passports, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior was informed during a meeting on Thursday.
Chairing the session, Senator Faisal Saleem postponed a scheduled briefing on the law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa due to the absence of the provincial home secretary and police chief. The meeting began with prayers for the late Senator Taj Haider.
During the discussion, Director General of Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi revealed that out of the 12,000 fraudulent cases, around 3,000 involved photo-swapped passports and another 6,000 were obtained by tampering with NADRA data. He confirmed that most individuals had been deported to Afghanistan and none remained in Pakistan.
Qazi added that disciplinary action had been taken against those involved in facilitating the issuance of fake documents, including 35 assistant directors from NADRA and the Passport Department. He also highlighted the department’s financial struggles, noting that despite generating Rs50 billion annually in revenue, they still face difficulties securing necessary budget allocations.
The committee also addressed the enforcement against vehicles with tinted windows. Excise Department Director Muhammad Bilal reported several arrests and fines amounting to Rs33 million since August. Committee members questioned the legal basis for the crackdown, to which Interior Ministry officials admitted there was no specific law. The committee chair suggested introducing a fee-based system to regulate such cases.
Serious concerns were also raised about illegal activities in guesthouses across Islamabad. The committee was told that many operate as unlicensed shisha lounges, bars, and drug hubs. The Islamabad IG assured the committee that action would be taken against these establishments. The chair called for a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and demanded a full report on guesthouse operations and enforcement measures taken.
