<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" version="2.0"><channel>
                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
                        <atom:link href="https://tribune.com.pk/feed/olympicsscam" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
                        <link>https://tribune.com.pk/feed/olympicsscam</link>
                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
                        <lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Jun 26 15:59:58 +0500</lastBuildDate>
                        <language>en-US</language>
                        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
                        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
                        <generator>https://laravel.com/</generator><item>
			<title>No training until May 25, English Football League tells clubs</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2221309/no-training-may-25-english-football-league-tells-clubs</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2221309/no-training-may-25-english-football-league-tells-clubs#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 May 20 08:09:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2221309</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The novel coronavirus brought professional football across the country to a halt early in March]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Clubs in the second to fourth tiers of English soccer should not return to training before May 25 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the English Football League (EFL) said on Wednesday.

The body, which governs the Championship, League One and League Two, met on Wednesday to address financial and operational matters resulting from Covid-19, adding that "the consequences of the pandemic will not be rectified simply by a return to play behind closed doors."

"Until all outstanding matters are concluded, including finalising a comprehensive testing programme on matchdays and non-matchdays, the EFL Board has informed its Clubs that a return to training should not take place until 25 May at the earliest," it said in a statement.

"While there is much debate and discussion taking place publicly and privately regarding what should, or could, happen next, the EFL will continue to undertake consultation with our members before the next steps are determined."

The novel coronavirus brought professional football across the country to a halt early in March, throwing the calendar into chaos and inflicting heavy financial losses on many clubs.

The EFL acknowledged action was needed to deal with the impact of the pandemic, which has also led to a year-long postponement of the Euro 2020 tournament and the Olympic Games.

"Current attention is clearly on the immediate next steps, but the long-term impact on the League and its Clubs remains as stark as previously outlined, and solutions are still required to fill the financial hole left by the crisis," the statement added.

"In addition, the EFL is mindful of the pressing need for clarity in a number of areas, including the practicalities and timeframes of Clubs being able to facilitate a return to training."]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/2221309-training-1589443724/2221309-training-1589443724.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Passport scam: FIA investigation team fails to record Ali Asad’s statements</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/428466/passport-scam-fia-investigation-team-fails-to-record-ali-asad%e2%80%99s-statements</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/428466/passport-scam-fia-investigation-team-fails-to-record-ali-asad%e2%80%99s-statements#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Aug 12 10:13:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=428466</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Team returns from London, says it was unable to record Ali Asad's statements.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A two-member team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) returned from London on Thursday without recording the statements of Ali Asad, the central character in the passport scam, reported Express News.

According to the Interior ministry, the team has submitted a report regarding the scandal, in which it said that it was unable to record Asad’s statements.

The team also said that several meetings were held to assist British officials in locating Asad and arrest him, but they did not work out either.

Sources say that the investigation into the scandal may need more time to complete.

Moreover, there has been no progress on the letter written to Interpol by the Interior ministry for Asad’s arrest.

The visa scam surfaced after British tabloid The Sun published a report on fake travel documents for London, in connection with Pakistan’s Olympic squad. However, an investigation conducted by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) dismissed the claims, calling the report a scam.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/428466-passportmoham_1735799875/428466-passportmoham_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Possible sting operations: Pakistan’s Olympic squad under strict vigilance</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/420554/possible-sting-operations-pakistan%e2%80%99s-olympic-squad-under-strict-vigilance</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/420554/possible-sting-operations-pakistan%e2%80%99s-olympic-squad-under-strict-vigilance#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Aug 12 05:09:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[fawad.hussain]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=420554</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Efforts intensified to keep participants away from ‘conspiracies’ as campaign ends.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As Pakistan ended its campaign in the London Olympics on Thursday, the contingent’s security has been intensified to keep members away from ‘conspiracies’ through possible sting operations by British newspapers.


Mohammad Abid Qadri, the serving DIG Operations Punjab, in charge of security related issues with the delegation, is said to be on his toes to keep athletes away from ‘conspiracies’ or ‘planted media stings’. While shooter Khurram Inam has already returned to Pakistan, others, including two swimmers and as many athletes, besides the 18-man hockey squad, are expected to return after the closing ceremony on August 13.

Pakistan faced controversy prior to the Olympics when the London-based tabloid The Sun ran a story exposing a “passport scam” in Lahore.

‘Aware of possible controversies’ 

Pakistan’s chef de mission Syed Aqil Shah said he was taking measures to keep the members away from controversies.

“We are aware of the conspiracies against us,” Shah told The Express Tribune. “The athletes have also been made aware of the possibility of them being targeted. They are not allowed to speak to strangers and are under strict vigilance,” he added.

The chef de mission added that Qadri is an experienced security officer and is doing a good job. He is in the loop with all the members of the delegation including athletes as well as the officials, he added.

Shah said so far no athletes have reported any approach from anyone and added that conspiracies were hatched just to make Pakistani athletes and officials scapegoats in case of any security failure.

“The passport scam was also a back-up plan for them in case of any failures on their part. It wasn’t a credible story as not a single person can enter the Olympics Village without accreditation issued by the International Olympics Committee.”

‘Visa scam’ probe team leaves for UK 

Meanwhile, a team of the Federal Investigation Agency left for Britain on Friday to probe The Sun’s ‘Olympic visa scandal’, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The British tabloid had accused Pakistani authorities of providing forged travel documents and smuggling people to the 2012 Summer Games as members of the Olympic delegation, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into the high-profile sporting event.

A two-member FIA team, comprising Director FIA Sindh chapter Moazzam Jah and Chief of Staff to Director General FIA Waseem Ahmed Sial, will remain in the UK until the prob is finalised.

FIA Director General Muhammad Anwar Virk told The Express Tribune that the team will examine The Sun’s undercover ‘man’, Pakistani-born British citizen Muhammad Ali Asad, who played a key role in the scandal.

Asad visited Pakistan under the name of Ali Asad, as mentioned in his UK passport, and returned to the UK after acquiring a new Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and Machine Readable Pakistani passport under the name of Muhammad Ali Asad.

The FIA had registered a case against him on charges of concealing facts regarding his previous manual passport and British citizenship.

He had neither declared his earlier Pakistani passport, obtained through a manual system in 2000, nor his British citizenship when he applied for a new machine readable passport on July 13, 2012.

The FIA team will hold meetings with management of the British tabloid, reporter Stephen Moyes who published the story, the National Press Trust of UK, and officials of the immigration, home office and UK border agency.

The FIA has also requested Britain to extradite of Asad so he could be tried in Pakistan, and will be in touch with Interpol, in this regard.

WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ASAD KHARAL IN LAHORE

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/420554-pakistanhocke_1735799875/420554-pakistanhocke_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>London stakeout: More sting operations against Pak Olympic squad in the works?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418603/london-stakeout-more-sting-operations-against-pak-olympic-squad-in-the-works</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418603/london-stakeout-more-sting-operations-against-pak-olympic-squad-in-the-works#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Aug 12 00:23:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=418603</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Exposes involve team members testing positive, establishing illegal links.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[With Pakistan’s participation in the Olympics already hurt by the infamous passport ‘scam’, more staged ‘exposes’ could be in the works, if reports from the UK shared with The Express Tribune are to be believed.


According to sources, two British newspapers – whose names have been withheld by The Express Tribune, but intimated to the Pakistan High Commission in London – have planned another sting operation against Pakistan’s delegation at the Games.

Squad members, however, remains unaware of these plans.

Reports say that the operation involves three options – and any one of the three, whichever one materialises, will be used as an ‘expose.’ The tasks have been handed over to different journalists, known to have worked on ‘anti-Pakistan’ stories in the past. The deadline set for these tasks is the last day of the Olympics – August 12.

Sources told The Express Tribune that one option involves bribing a member of the Pakistani Olympic delegation to seek asylum in the UK. Before team members left for the Olympics, all were made to pay surety bonds against the possibility of seeking asylum in the UK. The bond, posted in Pakistan, will be paid by one of the newspapers for the one who will seek asylum, according to the plan. Those familiar with the development also revealed that the prime target could be a prominent member of the national hockey team, since an expose involving a star player would be considered a relatively larger ‘scoop’.

The second option involves getting a member of the Pakistani contingent to test positive in a drug test. Sources said that this plan would be executed using a waiter at a restaurant. Those familiar with the matter revealed that the waiter would be paid and tasked with slipping an illegal substance into the food or drink of one of the players.

The third option, the vaguest of the lot, will look to establish a link between a Pakistan delegation member and a banned outfit, sources in the UK said.

Sources fear the operations have already been initiated.

Regarding the first option, sources claimed that, a few days ago, an Iftar party was arranged by a bank where at least three well-known journalists, described as ‘anti-Pakistan,’ were invited. This platform, claimed sources, was to be used for ‘infiltration’ and ‘recruiting assets’ for executing the operation.

Similarly, said sources, the Pakistan delegation had recently visited a South Asian restaurant for a meal, where the second option could have been executed.

The British tabloid community is particularly focusing on the Pakistan Olympic team, according to the sources, and a number of British Pakistanis have been approached to ‘help’ in this regard.

On July 23, British tabloid The Sun broke a story on a ‘visa scam’ giving potential terrorists to sneak into the UK with the Pakistani Olympic delegation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/418603-Ol-1344292638/418603-Ol-1344292638.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics visa scam: Abid Chaudhry sent on 14-day judicial remand</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/417767/olympics-visa-scam-abid-chaudhry-sent-on-14-day-judicial-remand</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/417767/olympics-visa-scam-abid-chaudhry-sent-on-14-day-judicial-remand#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Aug 12 06:34:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=417767</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chaudhry insists the real culprit is Ali Asad, The Sun’s undercover man.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Civil Court Judge Matiur Rehman sent Abid Chaudhry and Abdul Raqeeb, two of the accused in the London Olympics passport scam, on a 14-day judicial remand on Saturday.


Chaudhry and Raqeeb, affiliated with the Dream Land travel agency, were presented before the civil court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The FIA submitted that the investigation against the accused has been completed and they needed to ask no further questions from them. Chaudhry stated that he was innocent and that the real culprit was Mohammad Ali Asad.

Previously, the court had granted two days of physical remand of the accused.

The visa scam surfaced after British tabloid The Sun published a report on fake travel documents for London, in connection with Pakistan’s Olympic squad. However, an investigation conducted by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) dismissed the claims, calling the report a scam.

After NADRA’s findings, judicial magistrate Sohail Anjum had acquitted accused Muhammad Asif, Syed Wasif Ali, Mukhtar Husain and Faheem Ahmad and ordered their release.

The Pakistani government has registered a case against Asad for fraud, impersonation and mis-declaration, and is trying to work towards his deportation from the UK, while also declaring him the main accused in the case.

However, the administration of the tabloid stated that its report was based on information backed by footage of Chaudhry claiming he could get their man a two-month visa and smuggle him into London as part of Pakistan’s Olympic squad for around £7,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/417767-Visa-1344148390/417767-Visa-1344148390.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>FIA will ask Interpol to issue red warrants against Ali Asad: Report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414950/fia-will-ask-interpol-to-issue-red-warrants-against-ali-asad-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414950/fia-will-ask-interpol-to-issue-red-warrants-against-ali-asad-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jul 12 12:43:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=414950</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ali Asad was The Sun’s agent who unearthed an alleged scam involving issuance of fake passports in Pakistan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has decided to contact Interpol to issue red warrants for The Sun’s agent Ali Asad, declaring him the main accused in the UK travel scam, according to a report by DawnNews.

The FIA has also written a letter to The Sun to seek assistance with the investigation of the case. The letter said, “The aforesaid report and video prepared by The Sun in this regard do not match facts as unearthed by us, hence, we would like to have some substantial and concrete evidence from you in support of the above.”

The letter further said that the allegations leveled in The Sun’s story are of a very serious nature and need concrete evidence to prove the scam.

The UK-based tabloid The Sun had claimed that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry was involved in a scam allowing Pakistani nationals into England under the garb of participants and officials accompanying the Pakistani Olympics delegation. The tabloid used Asad as an agent who managed to get a Pakistani passport allegedly on someone else’s particulars.

Chaudhry, recording his statement before the FIA on Saturday, rubbished all the claims and said that the video secretly recorded by Asad was a “planned drama”.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik had also denied in a press conference that the story was real and said that it was part of a conspiracy to malign Pakistan. He had also said that the government will ask the UK government to deport Asad so he can be tried in Pakistan.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/414950-passportmoham_1735799875/414950-passportmoham_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics visa scandal: Govt accepts error, denies forgery</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414513/olympics-visa-scandal-govt-accepts-error-denies-forgery</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414513/olympics-visa-scandal-govt-accepts-error-denies-forgery#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jul 12 04:55:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umer.nangiana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=414513</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Malik claims The Sun’s agent was dual national, issued genuine Pakistani passport.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday denied that any forgery had occurred in the Olympics visa scandal, insisting that British tabloid The Sun’s undercover man, Asad Ali, was a dual national, who was issued a genuine Pakistani passport.


Showing documents of Ali’s registration as a Pakistani citizen, along with a copy of his British passport, the minister told reporters at a press conference that “no forgery had occurred,” adding that it was only a matter of errors.

Ali was entitled to a Pakistani passport as he possessed a genuine identity card issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in 2002, which expired in 2008, Malik said, adding that his identity features were checked and matched,

However, the minister added, Ali had neither declared his earlier Pakistani passport, obtained through a manual system in 2000, nor his UK nationality when he applied for the machine readable passport recently.

“This person defamed Pakistan. He misled authorities here and my hunch is that he also misled The Sun,” said Malik, adding that, “We will ask the UK government to deport him so he can be tried in Pakistan.”

The interior minister further said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been directed to register a case against Ali. The evidence upon investigation has already been sent to The Sun, and will also be shared with the federal cabinet, he added.

Malik also said that four officials, two each from NADRA and the passport office in Lahore, were under custody for interrogation over their negligence to check Ali’s data on his previous passport.

“We are investigating if they (officials) accepted speed money or simply neglected to check the details; but this was not forgery it was an error,” the interior minister said.

Chaudhry Abrar, the person accused of taking money for facilitating the speedy processing, was also questioned.

According to Malik, Abrar, in his initial statement, told the FIA investigators that Ali had a history of involvement in such activities.

Meanwhile, an official of NADRA said on the condition of anonymity that Ali was issued a genuine Pakistani passport, but he made it seem  like forgery. He explained that Ali travelled to Pakistan, along with British national Stephen Graham, on his British passport and a visit visa obtained from the Pakistani Embassy in Britain.

He first got his ID card renewed from NADRA, through which he obtained a machine readable passport from the FIA’s passport office Lahore. No forgery took place at any stage of the process as both documents were genuinely issued.

However, he made it seem like to The Sun as if he had obtained the documents through forgery by paying off registration and passport officials; therefore, the basis of the tabloid’s story were factually incorrect, the official added.

Terming it a conspiracy, the interior minister questioned why Ali did not use his newly obtained Pakistani passport to travel anywhere. He said that the newspaper “must have been in knowledge of this and Ali’s UK nationality,” an aspect that needed to be probed.

Malik said a case will be sent to the National Press Trust of UK against The Sun on the completion of investigations, before actually approaching courts to sue the newspaper for publishing a baseless story which defamed Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/414513-RahmanMalikPHOTOONLINE-1343503522/414513-RahmanMalikPHOTOONLINE-1343503522.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>FIA interrogation: Central character claims recorded meeting was staged</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414514/fia-interrogation-central-character-claims-recorded-meeting-was-staged</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414514/fia-interrogation-central-character-claims-recorded-meeting-was-staged#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jul 12 04:44:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=414514</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[First time Abid speaks on issue; coming out of hiding upon the death of his brother the same day.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry on Saturday denied any role in the Olympic visa scandal, insisting that a questionable meeting, which was secretly recorded by British tabloid The Sun, was a “planned drama”.


The Sun had accused Abid of claiming to bypass stringent security checks to smuggle people to London under the garb of Pakistani officials for Rs1 million.

He had gone underground after a joint investigation team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Database and Registration Authority launched an inquiry against those involved in the Olympic visa scandal.

Saturday was the first time Abid spoke on the issue; coming out of hiding upon the death of his brother the same day.

Addressing the media, Abid claimed that the infamous scandal took the life of his elder brother Arif Chaudhry, who passed away on Saturday after suffering a heart attack.

The politician said his family has been in constant agony since the scandal emerged, and pleaded to the government and judiciary for justice.

Along with Abid, three other characters involved in the scandal – Malik Bashir, Akbar Butt and Raqeeb, appeared before an investigation team of the FIA on Saturday.

FIA locates accused politician

On Saturday, the FIA’s investigation team arrived at Abid’s residence to probe British tabloid The Sun’s claim, which alleged that Abid had claimed that he could illegally arrange a UK visa.

During the course of investigation, however, Abid categorically denied the allegations, insisting the conversation was staged.

In a written statement, he also denied any role in the preparation of a CNIC or passport for Muhammad Ali Asad, or Asad Ali, The Sun’s undercover man.

He stated that his friend Akbar Butt invited him to the Avari Hotel, and requested him to hold a meeting with one, Raqeeb, who wanted to travel to the UK and needed a visa.

Abid said that, on his friend’s request, he made “a planned drama” and told Raqeeb to deposit his passport and CNIC within a day if he wished to go abroad. He further said that he had never used the words “UK” or “Olympics”, whereas the other persons present in the room had.

He said he was shocked to see himself in the video leaked by The Sun, and claimed that the meeting was a trap, which was recorded though spy devices and secret cameras, without his consent or knowledge.

The FIA also recorded the statements of Malik Bashir, Akbar Butt, Raqeeb – who were also mentioned in The Sun. During interrogation, all three accused also denied any role in the scandal.

Meanwhile, FIA presented the accused Wasif, Asif, Fahim and Ghaffar before the court of Judicial Magistrate Sohail Anjum and pleaded it to stop proceedings due to a lack of evidence. However, the court handed over the accused to the FIA for a two-day remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/414514-Visa-1343536247/414514-Visa-1343536247.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>British envoy’s remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414289/british-envoy%e2%80%99s-remarks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414289/british-envoy%e2%80%99s-remarks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 12 18:13:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=414289</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The essential truth is that Pakistanis have a poor track record when it comes to visa applications.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The definition of a political gaffe is when a public figure accidentally tells the world exactly what he is thinking. Adam Thomson, the British high commissioner in Islamabad, was not far off the mark when he called Pakistanis the “world leaders in the visa fraud business” but it is nonetheless a shocking lapse in etiquette from a diplomat who should have known better.

Mr Thomson would have been better off staying quiet at a time when the alleged visa scam reported by a British tabloid is still being investigated by authorities. A diplomat who ends up badmouthing the country where he is serving is unlikely to be very effective at his job. Good diplomacy is conducted quietly behind closed doors, not loudly at press conferences. If there is going to be outrage directed at Mr Thomson for his poor timing and choice of words, then it is fully deserved.

Mr Thomson’s diplomatic lapse, however, should not distract us from the essential truth of what he is saying. Pakistanis have a poor track record when it comes to visa applications. Many of them are so desperate to leave the country that they often end up taking shortcuts by submitting forged documents. Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was once asked in an interview what he thought about the large percentage of Pakistanis who want to emigrate elsewhere. Mr Gilani’s answer was, why then, don’t they leave the country? What he chose to ignore was that they may want to leave the country but there are very few that want to accept them.

Given that Mr Thompson did not exactly exaggerate in his comments, it may be better for the government to simply ignore what he said. Its efforts would be better utilised in investigating the visa scam. Simply firing a few employees and then enveloping yourself in a cocoon of denial is not a strategy worth pursuing. We need to transparently figure out the truth and then take on this serious problem. We must not reach a point where the world shuns us simply because our passports are no longer trusted.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/414289-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343499200/414289-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343499200.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics scam: The Sun story conspiracy against Pakistan, says Malik</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414251/olympics-scam-rehman-malik-directs-fia-not-to-arrest-abid-chaudhry</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/414251/olympics-scam-rehman-malik-directs-fia-not-to-arrest-abid-chaudhry#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 12 12:08:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ema Anis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=414251</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Interior Minister says The Sun's report was part of a conspiracy to malign Pakistan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that a case will be registered against The Sun’s agent Ali Asad for ‘misdeclaring’ the facts. He was speaking to the media in Islamabad on Saturday.

Malik claimed that Asad had a Pakistani passport earlier and was a dual national too, but did not state it in his form. “He manipulated the true story to bring a bad name to Pakistan,” alleged Malik adding that he has ordered the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a case against Asad and will also ask for his deportation from the UK.

“We will give our report to the cabinet as well. We will also lodge our complaint.”

The interior minister further claimed that The Sun’s story was part of a conspiracy against Pakistan. “He got a passport, but did he travel on it? No! Did he misuse it anywhere? No!” Malik declared. “Ali Asad has been involved in similar frauds in the past, and still is.”

Clarifying his order to the FIA to not arrest Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry allegedly involved in the visa scam, Malik said that he heard Chaudhry speaking to the media earlier during the day and got to know that his brother has passed away. “So, I said that it was not the right time for him to be arrested, but he should be given the option of getting his statement recorded. He is recording his statement with the FIA voluntarily right now.”

According to a statement released by the Interior Ministry, Malik has also ordered the FIA to gather all details in the scam and submit a report to the ministry by tonight.

Chaudhry was accused by The Sun for bypassing stringent security checks to smuggle people to London under the garb of Pakistani officials in exchange for a payment of Rs1 million.

___________________________________________

[poll id="830"]]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/414251-rehmanmalikonline-1343487737/414251-rehmanmalikonline-1343487737.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Pakistan is world leader in visa fraud business: British High Commissioner</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413843/pakistan-is-world-leader-in-visa-fraud-business-british-high-commissioner</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413843/pakistan-is-world-leader-in-visa-fraud-business-british-high-commissioner#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 12 16:11:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413843</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Adam Thomson says fraud and forgery are very strong industries in Pakistan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA["Pakistan is a world leader in the visa fraud business which is why we have to check very scrupulously every single application, every single passport, every single document," British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson said in a news conference according to The Telegraph.

The high commissioner was also quoted as saying that the UK visa officials had spotted as many as 4000 fake documents submitted by Pakistanis seeking travel documents last year.

The British High Commissioner was talking about recent fake passport scam claim made by the British tabloid The Sun. According to the claim, the paper had broken into a crime ring which was issuing fake passports and visas, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into London Olympics 2012.

When questioned multiple times about the visa scam during an Olympics-related press conference, Thomson said that “fraud and forgery were very strong industries in Pakistan.”

The British High Commission had earlier on Friday released its report in the visa scam, claiming that The Sun’s agent Ali Asad had successfully attained a 'fake passport' in Pakistan to sneak into Britain along with Pakistan’s Olympic delegation.

However, investigation into the matter by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) found that no fraud or illegal act was committed while issuing the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport to The Sun investigator as claimed by the tabloid.

Nadra in fact claimed that Ali had legally updated and renewed his CNIC's but had entered false information on his UK passport.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413843-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343404864/413843-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343404864.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>UK visa scam: British High Commission backs The Sun’s claims</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413775/uk-visa-scam-british-high-commission-backs-the-sun%e2%80%99s-claims</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413775/uk-visa-scam-british-high-commission-backs-the-sun%e2%80%99s-claims#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 12 10:49:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413775</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[British High Commission's report says Ali Asad attained a fake passport on specifics of Mohammad Ali Asad in...]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The British High Commission released its report in the UK visa scam on Friday, claiming that The Sun’s agent Ali Asad had successfully attained a fake passport in Pakistan to sneak into Britain along with Pakistan’s Olympic delegation, reported Express News.

The report said that Ali Asad came to Pakistan on a British passport and managed to get a fake CNIC and a machine-readable Pakistani passport on the specifics of “Mohammad Ali Asad”.

According to the British High Commission’s record, Ali Asad’s real date of birth is December 8, 1980, while Mohammad Ali Asad’s date of birth was mentioned as November 8, 1970. Similarly, Ali Asad’s residence was Sahiwal as opposed to Mohammad Ali Asad’s address in Lahore.

The report also claimed that the pictures made available by the British High Commission included one of Ali Asad and two of Mohammad Ali Asad.

On Thursday, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson had said that he trusted Pakistan’s passport issuance system and Nadra, adding that the country is free of defects.

British tabloid The Sun had earlier claimed to have broken into a crime ring which was issuing fake passports and visas, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into London Olympics 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413775-passportmoham_1735799875/413775-passportmoham_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympic ‘visa scam’: Confusion persists despite NADRA clarification</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413657/olympic-%e2%80%98visa-scam%e2%80%99-confusion-persists-despite-nadra-clarification</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413657/olympic-%e2%80%98visa-scam%e2%80%99-confusion-persists-despite-nadra-clarification#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 12 05:20:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413657</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[British High Commissioner Adam Thomson assured that the UK trusted Pakistan’s passport issuance system.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Fresh information indicates that British tabloid The Sun’s undercover “man” in the purported Olympic visa saga could have been able to obtain a Pakistani passport and identity card under the identity of someone with a similar name.


The undercover man, whose name was purportedly ‘Asad Ali’ could have obtained the NIC and passport of one ‘Muhammad Ali Asad’ - who has an entirely different date of birth and place of birth.

While the names are fairly similar, Ali Asad was born in Sahiwal not Lahore.

The Sun had earlier claimed to have broken into a crime ring asserting that by issuing fake passports and visas, Pakistan had given potential terrorists a chance to sneak into Britain along with the country’s Olympic delegation.

Furthermore, the British government denied issuing a visa to ‘Muhammad Ali Asad’ on the days claimed by NADRA and passport authorities, The Express Tribune has learnt.

In its reply to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), however, the UK Border Agency stated: “In response to your fax dated July 25, 2012 … we have a record of a working holiday maker visa being issued to Muhammad Ali Asad, s/o Muhammad Anwar Siddiqui (Date of Birth November 8, 1977). It was issued to passport No J609802 on April 25, 2002; valid until April 25, 2004. [We] have no record of a visa application being made in association with passport No BD1876301.”

UK high commissioner asserts trust in Pakistan

British High Commissioner in Pakistan Adam Thomson assured that the UK trusted Pakistan’s passport issuance system and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and added there was no evidence of anyone travelling to Britain as part of the Olympic visa scandal.

He said the visa scandal issue was of global significance; however, Britain was satisfied with Pakistan’s visa and passport issuance mechanisms. “We are satisfied with the passport issuance system of NADRA and no country is free of defect,” he stated.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday at the National Press Club (NPC), Thomson said that anyone who was part of the national sports delegation going to take part in UK Olympic had to apply months in advance. “Each and every thing was checked and there was no chance to proceed to the UK on fake documents,” he said.

He accepted that incidents of fake visa seekers were at its high and that last year they found 4,000 fake travelling documents and passports.

He said that every country has visa scam incidents. “We don’t claim to be perfect ourselves of course. There are flaws in passport issuance but it does not mean the whole country is responsible for one incident,’’ he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2012. ]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413657-passportmoham_1735799875/413657-passportmoham_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>We trust NADRA, Pakistan's passport system: British High Commissioner</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413264/we-trust-nadra-pakistans-passport-system-british-high-commissioner</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413264/we-trust-nadra-pakistans-passport-system-british-high-commissioner#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jul 12 11:53:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413264</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Adam Thomson says sneaking into Olympics squad through illegal means is impossible.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[We trust Pakistan’s passport issuance system and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), said British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson on Thursday.

Commenting on the recent passport scam claim by the British tabloid The Sun at Islamabad Press Club, Thomson said that sneaking into an  Olympics squad through illegal means is impossible.

“We are satisfied with the passport issuance system of Pakistan and Nadra,” he said, adding that no country is free of defects.

The Sun had earlier claimed to have broken into a crime ring which was issuing fake passports and visas, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into Britain along with Pakistan’s Olympic delegation.

Responding to those who wish to acquire a British passport, Thomson said interested Pakistanis should not seek help of unofficial agents. “The system in place at the British embassy is very simple and it can be contacted for assistance,” he said.

The British High Commissioner also mentioned that around 4,000 people tried to get the British passport through fake documents last year but were caught.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413264-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343302954/413264-AdamThomsonQAZIUSMAN-1343302954.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics scam: Passport department presents inquiry report, claims innocence</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413250/olympics-scam-passport-department-presents-inquiry-report-claims-innocence</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413250/olympics-scam-passport-department-presents-inquiry-report-claims-innocence#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jul 12 10:06:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413250</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Report says passport office has no role in scam, Asad's pictures and thumb prints are real.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) cleared itself of all allegations in the UK passport scam, the Passport and Immigration Department also presented its inquiry report on Wednesday.

The report claimed that the passport office had no role in the scam. It added that Mohammad Ali Asad – the man who claimed to have acquired a Pakistani passport on someone else’s particulars – had come to the office himself to get his passport.

Asad’s pictures and thumb prints are real and the data of the passport office and Nadra is also the same, the inquiry report claimed.

Mubashir Tirmizi, the assistant director at Garden Town, Lahore passport office, who was earlier arrested was also released.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry formulated a committee to send a legal notice to The Sun seeking Rs10 billion in damages for publishing a “fake story”. Sources said that the committee will comprise of legal experts and representatives from the interior ministry and the law ministry.

The notice is likely to be sent by next week.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413250-passportmoham_1735799875/413250-passportmoham_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>‘Facts’ in hand, Pakistan decides to sue UK tabloid</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413149/%e2%80%98facts%e2%80%99-in-hand-pakistan-decides-to-sue-uk-tabloid</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/413149/%e2%80%98facts%e2%80%99-in-hand-pakistan-decides-to-sue-uk-tabloid#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 12 22:17:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sumera.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=413149</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Probe identifies undercover reporter, ‘proves’ story was baseless.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan’s government has launched a counter-offensive against a British tabloid that ‘uncovered’ the ‘London Olympics visa scam’ after investigations into the issue apparently showed that the story was fictitious.


Terming the story “propaganda,” the federal cabinet decided on Wednesday to file a lawsuit against the daily paper, The Sun, in British courts. A meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, approved the decision to sue the newspaper for publishing the report based on assumptions, said a source, adding that Pakistan will seek Rs10 billion in damages.

Though the cabinet has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to halt investigations in light of its decision to file the lawsuit, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the inquiry will continue as evidence collected by FIA will help strengthen Pakistan’s case.

In his address to the media, Kaira leveled strong criticism against The Sun and turned the tables on the paper by questionings its ‘credibility.’ He added it was surprising how the newspaper did not know that NADRA has nothing to do with issuing passports.

Athletics Association Pakistan’s Secretary Khalid Mehmood also presented the record of the 38 participants due to take part in the 2012 summer games to the FIA. The investigation agency, meanwhile, has decided to release all the suspects detained earlier.

The government, however, has asked FIA to put together a complete profile of Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry, who, The Sun claims, is the mastermind behind the alleged scandal. The tabloid accused Chaudhry of smuggling people to London under the garb of Pakistani officials in exchange for a payment of Rs1 million.

NADRA’s rejoinder

The decision to file a lawsuit came soon after NADRA Chairman Muhammad Tariq Malik briefed the cabinet. Malik, who appeared before the cabinet along with the interior secretary and director-general of the passport office, rubbished The Sun’s claims of NADRA officials providing forged travel documents.

“The British newspaper’s story about NADRA is not based on any evidence. Upon the cabinet’s directives, NADRA will file a lawsuit against the tabloid for maligning Pakistan,” Malik said at a press briefing soon after the meeting.

He said NADRA can boast of being the safest registration system in the world and no unauthorized person can access the system.

The Sun’s ‘man’

The Sun, in its story, had claimed that its “man” had been able to get a Pakistani passport on someone else’s particulars. Based on this premise, it said, the “man” could have gotten a visa for the Olympic Games to be held in London through some “corrupt” officials.

The visa, however, was never issued.

As for the claim of the “fake passport,” the charges were rubbished. According to NADRA’s database, The Sun’s “man” is named Mohammad Ali Asad s/o Mohammad Anwer Siddique. His NIC bearing number 35202-2660630-5 was issued on February 6, 2002. It was added that Asad, a former reporter for Daily Khabrain, had immigrated to the UK earlier and had been living there for the past 8-10 years.

His British passport bearing number 506486804 was issued on October 24, 2011, and has the same name and photograph as his NIC. In a discrepancy that conversely takes place on the UK’s side of things, an incorrect place and date of birth is mentioned. Malik said that, though the British security mechanism for the same is quite intricate too, the authorities there were not able to nab Asad.

In any case, Asad, according to authorities, returned to Pakistan on July 8 this year as an undercover man for The Sun. He had booked a room at the Avari Hotel in Lahore from the date of his arrival till July 31.

He personally visited the NADRA office in Baghbanpura on July 10 and had his picture updated in his record. He got his own photo updated rather than getting someone else’s identity as claimed by The Sun’s story. The photo was updated after matching it with his previous photo, it was claimed by officials. On the same basis, he consequently applied for a passport on July 13 which was delivered to him on July 18, it was added. According to officials, no discrepancy took place.

(Read: Getting a fake ID)

(With additional reporting from our correspondent in Lahore)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/413149-thesun-1343254165/413149-thesun-1343254165.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Getting a fake ID</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412927/getting-a-fake-id</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412927/getting-a-fake-id#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 12 18:37:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412927</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Safeguards need to be put in place to ensure no official can hand out fake identification.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In Pakistan, just about anything can be had by those who can afford it, from cricketers who get fake birth certificates to US-bound college students who want identification proving they are 21 years of age so they can frequent nightclubs. Pakistanis have the option of simply purchasing any type of identification they desire. The investigation carried out by the British tabloid, The Sun, into the fake passports being sold to those who wished to escape to England during the Olympics is merely the tip of the iceberg. The response from the government so far has been tepid. A few NADRA and passport office officials have been arrested but there seems to be no will to tackle the fake identification epidemic.

The dangers of being a country where fake identifications are so easy to purchase are multiplied in an age of terrorism. Previously, the issue was one that could be swept under the carpet. Now, however, there is a very real possibility that militants could simply buy a new identity and further become impossible to trace. With passports also available for sale, this problem is given an international dimension. If the international community decides that Pakistani passports are no longer guaranteed authenticity, there is a possibility it could lead to further delays at airports for Pakistani passengers, who are already under a cloud of suspicion, or even the voiding of our passports altogether. International travel is partly based on trust, where other countries have to accept that the passports being presented are kosher. In Pakistan’s case, that trust may have evaporated.

Even at home, just about every activity we carry out is done on the basis of our identification, from opening a bank account to driving a car. If Pakistan hands out fake identifications, we will become a haven for drug smugglers looking to launder their money and criminals will be extremely hard to catch. Safeguards need to be put in place to ensure no official can hand out fake identification. Otherwise, identification handed out by the government will not be worth the paper it is written on.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412927-passportblur-1343241418/412927-passportblur-1343241418.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics passport scam: NADRA investigation finds no wrongdoing</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412872/olympics-passport-scam-nadra-investigation-finds-no-wrongdoing</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412872/olympics-passport-scam-nadra-investigation-finds-no-wrongdoing#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 12 14:14:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412872</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Tabloid’s investigator had his own NIC renewed through legal procedure.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[According to National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) investigation into the Olympics passport scam, no fraud or illegal act was committed while issuing the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport to The Sun investigator as claimed by the tabloid.

The documentary and video evidence scanned by the Nadra shows that the tabloid’s investigator Mohammad Ali Asad was present at the office in person for the renewal of his expired NIC.

According to Nadra’s database, Asad had first obtained his NIC in 2002. He later immigrated to the UK and has been living there for the past 8-10 years. Asad was issued a UK Passport in 2011, with the same name and picture as per his Nadra records. However, the passport bears a fake place and date of birth.

Asad, as an undercover agent for The Sun, travelled to Pakistan on July 8, 2012. He visited the Nadra office in Baghbanpura, Lahore to get his CNIC photo updated on July 10.

Asad’s CNIC was updated after comparing the data with his previous record held in Nadra database.

Once his CNIC was modified, Asad started the process for acquiring a machine-readable passport on July 13, which was delivered to him on July 18.

Since the same person applied to renew his own ID card and for provision of a passport, nothing illegal was done, Nadra stated.

The national authority termed The Sun report an attempt to undermine Pakistan’s identity card and passport issuance systems.

Earlier, the Cabinet had ordered Nadra to file a defamation suit against The Sun.

The NADRA presentation on the Olympics passport scam investigation can be seen here.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412872-NADRAnew-1343224674/412872-NADRAnew-1343224674.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics passport scam: Govt asks NADRA to sue The Sun for defamation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412838/olympics-passport-scam-federal-cabinet-to-file-lawsuit-against-the-sun</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412838/olympics-passport-scam-federal-cabinet-to-file-lawsuit-against-the-sun#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 12 09:41:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412838</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lawsuit to be filed will be for Rs10 billion in damages.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The government, on Wednesday, decided to  register a case against British tabloid The Sun in British courts, calling its Olympics passport scam report "false propaganda."

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, while speaking to media, said "a dirty propaganda was unleashed against Pakistan."

"The cabinet ordered the Nadra to file a defamation suit (against the paper) after consulting the law ministry," Kaira added

He also took a swipe at the paper, saying it "does not have a good reputation".

According to sources, the lawsuit to be filed will be for Rs10 billion in damages.

The cabinet also ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to halt investigations pertaining to Olympics visa scam cases in light of its recent decision to file a lawsuit against the aforementioned tabloid.

The decision for filing the lawsuit was taken after NADRA Chairman Muhammad Tariq Malik briefed the cabinet.

Details will be given in the cabinet briefing.

Earlier, The Sun had claimed to have broken into a crime ring which was issuing fake passports and visas, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into Britain along with Pakistan’s Olympic delegation.

Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry was accused by the tabloid for bypassing stringent security checks to smuggle people to London under the garb of Pakistani officials in exchange for a payment of Rs1 million.

A script submitted by the interior ministry mentions an instance in which a computerised NIC and passport were issued from Nadra and the passport office, Lahore, to a person with fake particulars of Muhammad Ali.

The government was conducting investigations in the matter, including seeking the full profile of Abid Chaudhry whereas the FIA and other agencies were conducting their own investigations.

The FIA had also arrested 11 suspects in relation to the scams believed to be carried out by Chaudhry and other officials.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412838-thesun-1343209650/412838-thesun-1343209650.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Visa-for-cash scandal: FIA arrests a dozen suspects in London travel scam</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412713/visa-for-cash-scandal-fia-arrests-a-dozen-suspects-in-london-travel-scam</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412713/visa-for-cash-scandal-fia-arrests-a-dozen-suspects-in-london-travel-scam#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 12 04:36:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412713</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Seeks travelling record of British journalist who broke the story.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has rounded up a dozen suspects in the London Olympics visa scandal uncovered a day earlier by British tabloid The Sun.


The tabloid claimed that Pakistani officials were supplying forged passports and travel documents to London for the summer games.

One of the suspects is Nuzhar Sehba Naz, also known as Madame Bovary, who has been accused of receiving Rs300,000 from five people in exchange for promising visas for London.

A separate FIR registered by one Abdul Sattar maintains Naz placed an advertisement in a newspaper claiming to provide the visas. FIA officials said seven cases have already been registered against her on different charges of human trafficking.

The FIA has also arrested 11 other suspects believed to be involved in the visa scandal reportedly orchestrated by Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry. These are officials of NADRA and the Passport Office, Garden Town, Lahore.

The arrested passport office officials include Deputy Director Muhammad Iqbal Shahid and three others -- Muhammad Faheem, Ghaffar Ali and Aslam James.

While the arrested NADRA officials include Asif Sadiq and Syed Wasif Shah and five other female officials Rozeena Majeed, Rukhsana Maqbool, Sumera Tabassam, Uzma Khalil and Qudsia Idrees.

The female officials from NADRA have, however, been released on personal surety bonds. They will still appear before FIA investigators on Wednesday (today).

Meanwhile, the FIA has constituted several teams to carry out further raids and more arrests are expected. Some of the other suspects in the case include alleged mastermind Abid Chaudhry, proprietor of Dream Land Travel Agency Malik Bashir and his employees Bobby and Mubashir Tirmizi.

The case has been registered on the written directives of the principal adviser to the prime minister. A letter sent to the FIA said all those involved in issuing forged passports and travel documents in Lahore should be arrested immediately and a comprehensive report submitted consequently.

The FIA and intelligence agencies have also sought the travel records of Stephen Moyes, the British journalist who broke the story.

The intelligence agencies have gathered some information regarding the people Moyes met in Pakistan and the UK before and after the story was published, sources said. These agencies believe “foreign elements” are at work to defame Pakistan.

The FIA has asked the Pakistan Hockey Federation and other relevant organisations to submit the list of players and officials who will lead the Olympic delegation.

Background

The Sun claims to have broken into a crime ring which was issuing fake passports and visas, giving potential terrorists a chance to sneak into Britain along with Pakistan’s Olympic delegation.

The tabloid adds that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry was bypassing stringent security checks to smuggle people to London under the garb of Pakistani officials in exchange for a payment of one million rupees – an option also offered to The Sun’s undercover reporter.

A script submitted by the interior ministry mentions an instance in which a computerised NIC and passport were issued from NADRA and the passport office, Lahore, to a person with fake particulars of Muhammad Ali.

The ministry has sought a full profile of Abid Chaudhry while the FIA is busy tracing those officials who let the documents made under the name of Muhammad Ali get attested without any objections.

The said CNIC was delivered on July 10 while the passport which was applied for on July 13 was delivered on July 19.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412713-Visa-1343190438/412713-Visa-1343190438.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>UK visa scandal</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412490/uk-visa-scandal</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412490/uk-visa-scandal#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 12 18:10:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412490</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The fact is that for now, Pakistan once more stands in the dock despite all the denials being made.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Why are we so prone to scandals? Just days before the 2012 Olympics get underway in London, a controversy, which could create huge waves, has broken out with the British tabloid The Sun reporting a criminal ring in Pakistan involved in obtaining two-month visas for persons to visit London in the guise of Olympic participants or officials. One million rupees have reportedly been charged from each individual seeking such a visa with a Lahore-based politician alleged to be behind the scam. The paper has claimed that a travel agency, whose owner was charged with human trafficking in 2003, is involved in the racket as are NADRA officials.

The whole affair does nothing for Pakistan’s image. We must remember that it was only two years ago that another tabloid broke the news of the spot-fixing scandal, which placed three leading Pakistani cricketers behind bars. The evidence presented by the tabloid was able to stand before the UK court. The immediate reaction on the part of Pakistan’s chief of the Olympics mission has been to deny the newspaper’s story. He has said that there are only 39 participants and officials from Pakistan in the Olympics village. But this does not make it clear if others may have travelled on visas citing Olympics participation. Such events have occurred before — with ‘bogus’ Pakistani athletes visiting foreign countries and then vanishing.

The tabloid has also suggested that some of the persons entering the UK could be terrorists. This may, or may not, be accurate. Certainly further investigations are needed. The president of Pakistan is said to have taken serious notice of the issue with six NADRA officials having been suspended. A joint investigation team has also been set up. We will need to see where these findings lead. But the fact is that for now, Pakistan once more stands in the dock despite all the denials being made.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412490-olympicsAFP-1343153347/412490-olympicsAFP-1343153347.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics passport scam: FIA arrests 11 suspects</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412379/olympics-passport-scam-fia-arrests-four-suspects</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412379/olympics-passport-scam-fia-arrests-four-suspects#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 12 06:10:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412379</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[One of the suspects is a Nadra official, while the remaining three are passports agents.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested 11 suspects believed to have been involved in a fake passport scam carried out by a Lahore-based politician and other officials.

UK-based tabloid The Sun had claimed to have unearthed a scam on Monday, involving a “Lahore-based politician” and other officials, wherein Pakistani nationals were brought into England under the garb of participants and officials accompanying the Pakistani Olympics delegation for the summer 2012 games – set to start on Friday.

Seven of those arrested are National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) officials, out of which five female suspects were released on personal surety bonds. They are bound to appear before FIA investigators on July 25.

Other four suspects are from passport offices, including a deputy director.

Several raiding teams of the FIA have been constituted and further raids are expected.

A team of senior Nadra officials has also arrived in Lahore to facilitate the investigations.

According to an exclusive report of a sting operation published in The Sun, a journalist allegedly broke into “a crime ring offering false passports, visas — and access to London 2012 as bogus support staff.”

The Sun had alleged that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry offered its undercover reporter in Pakistan the chance to go to the Olympics posing as an official member of the Pakistani contingent on a two-month visa in return for a million rupees ($10,000).

The crime ring had been under investigation after the daily informed UK intelligence, MI6, the Home Office, the UK Border Agency and the British High Commission in Islamabad.

10 agents arrested in Faislabad

Estate Commissioners arrested 10 agents in a raid outside the passport office in Faislabad, Express News reported on Tuesday.

A case was registered against these agents who had set up a makeshift office right outside the office.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412379-passportblur-1343109831/412379-passportblur-1343109831.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>UK tabloid sets off another sporting controversy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412301/uk-tabloid-sets-off-another-sporting-controversy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412301/uk-tabloid-sets-off-another-sporting-controversy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 12 21:58:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[agencies]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412301</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Olympics delegation charged with visa scam; chief dismisses claims – says team has only athletes,...]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Another potentially-crippling scandal hit Pakistani sports on Monday – and once again it was broken in dramatic style by a UK-based tabloid newspaper.


The Sun claims to have unearthed a scam, involving a “Lahore-based politician” and other officials, wherein Pakistani nationals were brought into England under the garb of participants and officials accompanying the Pakistani Olympics delegation for the summer 2012 games – set to start on Friday.

However, Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed The Sun’s claims.

According to an exclusive report of a sting operation published in The Sun, a journalist allegedly broke into “a crime ring offering false passports, visas — and access to London 2012 as bogus support staff.” The report upped the ante on the already-startling charges by saying the ring brought in “potential terrorists.”

The Sun alleges that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry offered its undercover reporter in Pakistan the chance to go to the Olympics posing as an official member of the Pakistani contingent on a two-month visa in return for a million rupees ($10,000). The crime ring had been under investigation after the daily informed UK intelligence, MI6, the Home Office, the UK Border Agency and the British High Commission in Islamabad.

Claims dismissed

“These are baseless reports,” Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah told AFP. “This is an attempt to malign Pakistan. Even if someone gets a passport he cannot enter the Olympic Village without an Olympic accreditation card,” he added.

According to Shah, barring him, Pakistan’s 39-member delegation is already in London and consists of 23 athletes and 16 officials. “Hockey has at least six officials which are under the rules and then we have physicians and other coaches who are genuine members of Pakistan’s contingent,” he said.

Further pouring doubt into the controversy, Malik Bashir, the owner of Dream Land, the travel agency whose name was mentioned by The Sun, said that he did not even know who Abid Chaudhry was.

Bashir who was charged with human trafficking in 2003, presently stands clear of criminal charges.

Abid Chaudhry when contacted by The Express Tribune, dismissed allegations held against him and said that he was trapped into “this planned controversy”.

Govt reacts

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik constituted a Joint Investigative Team (JIT), headed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to probe the scandal. Malik has instructed the JIT to complete their investigation within three days and arrest those responsible.

The team consists of officials from FIA, ISI, IB and NADRA.

Malik also directed the Ministry of Interior to place Abid Chaudhry on the Exit Control List. He also asked authorities to arrest all those who have been responsible for preparing the “fake” CNICs and passports purportedly used for the exercise.

An official from NADRA informed The Express Tribune that eight officers from NADRA’s Lahore office have been suspended and an internal committee comprising senior officials from the organisation has been formed to probe the matter.

The internal committee will probe separately into each official involved in the controversy. It will visit the NADRA provincial headquarters at Lahore and the concerned NADRA office on Tuesday (today), where the case would be further investigated to find more culprits, sources in NADRA further stated.
(With additional reporting by Asad Kharal in Lahore )


Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412301-passportblur-1343080392/412301-passportblur-1343080392.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Olympics: Pakistan slams visa scam claims</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412094/olympics-pakistan-slams-visa-scam-claims</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412094/olympics-pakistan-slams-visa-scam-claims#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 12 18:19:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412094</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Sun’s reports termed ‘baseless’ by chef de mission.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistani sports officials rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.


The Sun tabloid said it had busted a racket involving a politician in Lahore that could have given access to the London Games as part of the Pakistani contingent in return for Rs1million. Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed the claims.

“These are baseless reports,” said Shah. “This is an attempt to malign Pakistan. Even if someone gets a passport he cannot enter the Olympic Village without an Olympic accreditation card. Hockey has at least six officials which are under the rules and then we have physicians and other coaches who are genuine members of Pakistan’s contingent.”

Pakistan Olympic Association chief Arif Hasan was already in London and discussing the matter with the Pakistan High Commission, added Shah.

Never believed I’d get here: Chambers

Controversial British sprinter Dwain Chambers said he feels like a gold medal-winner already as he prepares to return to Olympics despite an earlier drug ban.

The 34-year-old 100m runner said it was a ‘dream come true’ to compete in London, after being fitted for his Games kit at the British athletics team’s base in central England.

“It has been a long time since the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and I have always said I never believed I would get here,” said Chambers. “Today has just been a dream come true for me. A goal was to get here, but that wasn’t a goal open to me. Just to be in the atmosphere of the Games in London is absolutely fantastic. To be able to go out there in front of a home crowd and experience that Olympic atmosphere to me is like a gold medal to me.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412094-aqilshah-1343067481/412094-aqilshah-1343067481.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>London 2012: JIT to probe UK-travel scam claims</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412009/london-2012-tabloid-claims-busting-visa-scam-by-pakistani-officials-politician</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/412009/london-2012-tabloid-claims-busting-visa-scam-by-pakistani-officials-politician#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 12 07:08:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=412009</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Sun claims it busted a scam regarding travel staff offering fake passports, visas and entry into the London 2012]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik formed a joint investigation team (JIT) on Monday to investigate the UK-travel scam claims made by the daily tabloid The Sun. The team would include officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The Director General FIA was also ordered to submit the investigation report to the Interior Ministry.

National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Tariq Malik suspended eight of its officials and also ordered inquiry into the matter.

The UK-based daily claimed to have busted a scam by a Lahore-based politician and Pakistani officials, which could have given a chance to "potential terrorists" to sneak into the United Kingdom along with Pakistan’s Olympic squad.

Pakistan's Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed The Sun's claims.

"These are baseless reports," Shah told AFP. "This is an attempt to malign Pakistan. Even if someone gets a passport he cannot enter the Olympic Village without an Olympic accreditation card."

Pakistan's 39-strong delegation - minus Shah - is already in London and consists of 23 athletes and 16 officials.

Shah justified the number of officials.

"Hockey has at least six officials which are under the rules and then we have physicians and other coaches who are genuine members of Pakistan's contingent," said Shah.

Pakistan Olympic Association chief Arif Hasan was already in London and discussing the matter with the Pakistan High Commission, said Shah.

Two-month visa, London entry for £7,000

The Sun says that it broke into the crime ring of Pakistani officials and travel staff which were offering fake passports, visas and entry into the London 2012. The Sun further claims a Lahore-based politician named Abid Chodhary was also part of the ring.

The tabloid claims its investigator obtained a Pakistani passport with a false name. The investigator was told by Chodhary that they could get him a two-month visa and smuggle him into the London games as part of Pakistan’s Olympic squad in the athletes’ support team for £7,000.

The Sun also secretly filmed Chodhary while he explained the entire process to the investigator and told him that he could also get him into the opening ceremony.

MI6, UK’s Home Office, the UK Border Agency and the British High Commission in Pakistan were alerted about the scam and an investigation was initiated subsequently.

When the British High Commission was contacted by The Express Tribune, they said that the report by The Sun is “self-explanatory” and that nothing in detail could be told at the moment as it was “too early to say anything.”

British High Commission Spokesperson Imran Rana said, “We thank The Sun for highlighting this attempted deal and will be handling the evidence over to the Pakistani authorities.”]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/412009-passportblur-1343026674/412009-passportblur-1343026674.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item>	</channel>
                </rss>
