Govt takes serious notice of issuance of CNICs, Passports to Afghans

Islamabad, Oct 17 (Online): Ministry of Interior on Tuesday taken a serious notice regarding the alleged issuance of CNICs, Passports to Afghans.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Interior, Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICS) to Afghan nationals who have, in some instances, obtained Pakistani passports and subsequently traveled to Saudi Arabia.

In a significant development, Royal kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dispatched 12,096 Pakistani passports from the procession of Afghan nationals to the Pakistan Embassy Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As a result, a high-level committee, chaired by the Director General of Immigration & Passports is constituted to conduct a detailed probe and investigation regarding issuance of fake / forged CNICS and Passports to Afghan Nationals traveling to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The committee is going to probe this issue as per TORS, to ascertain the lapses in the issuance of Passports, to determine the connivance of various institutions to facilitate the departure, from Pakistan to KSA and to determine the responsibility of various officers in NADRA, Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (IMPASS) and FIA in the process and suggest remedial measures to curb this menace in future.

The committee shall present its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior within 15 days.

The Directorate General Immigration and Passport has raised the level of scrutiny for the issuance of new and renewed Passports in order to control such type of practices, which is causing detrimental effect against the country.

The Director General has pledged to adopt the policy of zero tolerance against such acts. In this regard the Public in general is requested to cooperate with the Passport issuing authorities for inordinate delay in issuance of Passport.

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