The Federal Ministry of Interior has acted in reaction to Saudi Arabian authorities’ recent admission that they had confiscated over 12,000 Pakistani passports from Afghan people living in Saudi Arabia.
The ministry has organized a committee to investigate the alleged issuing of these passports, with the goal of identifying people responsible for passport issuance and finding system flaws.
The committee is in charge by the Director-General of Passports and includes officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), and the Interior Ministry’s Deputy Secretary.
They are due to present the findings of their investigation to the ministry within 15 days.
Concerns have arisen regarding potential collaboration between Afghan individuals and passport officials at various Pakistani passport centers, especially after the issuance of Pakistani passports to Afghan nationals in Saudi Arabia.
To address the issue of unlawful inhabitants in Pakistan, the government issued an ultimatum requiring them to depart by the end of October.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed worry regarding Afghan profiling and its impact on national security as a result of this move.
Nonetheless, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has warned Afghan people living legitimately in Pakistan that they are not face harassments or arrested.
The passport crisis probe seeks to address these concerns while also ensuring the integrity of the passport issuance system.
