ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Interior has established a committee to investigate the alleged issuance of over 12,000 Pakistani passports to Afghan nationals residing in Saudi Arabia.
The committee, led by the Director-General of Passports, includes the Deputy Secretary of the Interior Ministry and senior officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA). Their mission is to identify the officials responsible for passport issuance and pinpoint deficiencies in the system. They will submit their findings to the ministry within 15 days.
Additionally, Saudi Arabian authorities’ revelation that they had seized over 12,000 Pakistani passports from Afghan citizens, which they formally communicated to Islamabad, played a significant role in prompting this action. It was evident that Afghan citizens had acquired these passports through collusion with officials at various passport centers in Pakistan.
Last month, the government issued an ultimatum to individuals residing in Pakistan illegally, instructing them to leave the country by the end of October. This action raised concerns from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) about Afghan profiling and a “narrow view of national security.”
The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) provided reassurance last week that Afghan nationals legally residing in Pakistan would neither face harassment nor arrest.
