In Islamabad, a significant number of Pakistani passports have allegedly been issued to Afghan nationals. It has come to light that Saudi Arabia has recovered Pakistani passports from approximately 12,000 Afghan citizens and has shared these findings with the Pakistani embassy.
Both Mustafa Kazi, Director General of the Immigration and Passports Directorate, and the Federal Investigation Agency have launched an investigation into this matter. This ongoing inquiry has led to the apprehension of the primary suspect, Umar Javed, in Lahore, who was involved in the production of counterfeit passports.
The arrest of Umar Javed followed the apprehension and interrogation of a former officer and a serving grade-15 officer from the Passport Directorate. Sources have disclosed that these passports were issued to Afghan nationals using fraudulent identity cards.
It is worth noting that the newly appointed Director General of Passports and Immigration, Mustafa Kazi, and officials from the Federal Investigation Agency are collaborating to identify and take action against those responsible for producing fake passports.
Efforts were made to seek a response from the Pakistani ambassador in Saudi Arabia regarding this issue, but he declined to comment.
Meanwhile, an official from the Interior Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, affirmed that the Passports Directorate is fully aware of its responsibilities and is conducting a thorough investigation. Additionally, the data from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is being cross-verified in this process.
