Probe launched to investigate issuance of 400 fake blue passports

A revelation has surfaced regarding the issuance of 400 blue passports to unauthorized individuals.

According to media reports, these blue passports were issued between 2018 and 2022 to unrelated and unauthorized persons, with 54 of these passports still in use by unauthorized individuals.

A blue passport is an official travel document that is issued to government officials and other high-ranking personnel.

Sources from the Interior Ministry state that 57,000 blue passports are currently held by authorized officials and personnel. The Ministry's sources also indicated that the Passport and Immigration Directorate has issued 1,300 red passports.

Meanwhile a red passport is issued to dignitaries of the state and diplomats.

Previously, Saudi Arabian authorities retrieved more than 12,000 Pakistani passports from Afghan nationals. Riyadh informed Islamabad about this issue, raising concerns regarding the effectiveness of national institutions.

Sources indicate that these fraudulent passports were allegedly acquired by Afghan citizens through various passport centers operating in Pakistan.

In response, the Ministry of Interior has formed a high-level committee tasked with investigating the matter.

This committee, which includes representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and other sensitive agencies, will work to identify those involved in the issuance of these fake passports and compile a list of individuals implicated.

Legal actions will be initiated against those found responsible, as per the country’s laws.

New measures for CNIC, passport issuance

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar assured the National Assembly that robust data verification protocols are in place to stop the issuance of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and passports to non-Pakistanis.

His remarks addressed concerns from Members of the National Assembly (MNA) Sehar Kamran and Noor Alam Khan about the alleged illegal distribution of CNICs and passports to Afghan nationals.

Attaullah Tarar noted that new scanning technology and advanced machines have been introduced at passport offices across the country to strengthen the verification process.

He detailed that Afghan applicants face a rigorous three-tier scrutiny for passport applications. This process involves mandatory attestation by a gazetted officer, re-verification of the attestation authority, and final confirmation of data through the Family Registration Certificate (FRC) database maintained by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).