Startling revelations: 2,000 blue passports sold illegally for vast sums
Gang sells diplomatic passports for Rs1.5m to Rs2m each to influential people.
Diplomatic passports purchased for Rs2 million each. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
At least 2,000 blue passports were allegedly either sold to influential people at a hefty price ranging between Rs1.5 million and Rs2 million each or issued to undeserving officials between July 2010 and February 2013, the Express Investigation Cell (EIC) has learnt.
Sources said a powerful ‘gang’ comprising of at least one former federal minister, many senior officials of the Ministry of Interior and Directorate General of Immigration and Passports allegedly made billions out of the sale of diplomatic Pakistani passports.
Despite the practice coming into light at least once in 2012, the gang continued with its business. The Federal Investigation Agency and other agencies were unwilling to probe the case since the top officials of the interior division were a party to the illegal practice.
The sale of the blue passports started in 2010 and it continued unabated till February 2013, when a group of three individuals from Sialkot were detained at Lahore airport by immigration authorities for failing to present a no objection certificate. The detained individuals told immigration authorities they were not government officials, but rather they purchased the diplomatic passports for Rs2 million each.
Authorities immediately reported the findings to senior officials in Islamabad and it was finally referred to the FIA for a thorough inquiry which never occurred. However, a change of guard at the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in March 2013 brought the issue into the limelight once again.
When contacted, Director General Directorate General Immigration and Passports Zulfiqar Cheema said, “At this point in time I can confirm that investigations are underway into the case and we have recommended in writing to the interior division to cancel 2,000 passports issued to private individuals by the [former] PPP regime.”
Cheema has also suspended at least 12 officials of different grades of his directorate in connection with the scam.
Raids at regional offices are also being conducted to check records to evaluate the exact number of the passports issued to undeserving individuals.
It is generally believed that a vast majority that purchased the blue passports has already left Pakistan and the cancellation of their passports is a futile exercise.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.
At least 2,000 blue passports were allegedly either sold to influential people at a hefty price ranging between Rs1.5 million and Rs2 million each or issued to undeserving officials between July 2010 and February 2013, the Express Investigation Cell (EIC) has learnt.
Sources said a powerful ‘gang’ comprising of at least one former federal minister, many senior officials of the Ministry of Interior and Directorate General of Immigration and Passports allegedly made billions out of the sale of diplomatic Pakistani passports.
Despite the practice coming into light at least once in 2012, the gang continued with its business. The Federal Investigation Agency and other agencies were unwilling to probe the case since the top officials of the interior division were a party to the illegal practice.
The sale of the blue passports started in 2010 and it continued unabated till February 2013, when a group of three individuals from Sialkot were detained at Lahore airport by immigration authorities for failing to present a no objection certificate. The detained individuals told immigration authorities they were not government officials, but rather they purchased the diplomatic passports for Rs2 million each.
Authorities immediately reported the findings to senior officials in Islamabad and it was finally referred to the FIA for a thorough inquiry which never occurred. However, a change of guard at the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in March 2013 brought the issue into the limelight once again.
When contacted, Director General Directorate General Immigration and Passports Zulfiqar Cheema said, “At this point in time I can confirm that investigations are underway into the case and we have recommended in writing to the interior division to cancel 2,000 passports issued to private individuals by the [former] PPP regime.”
Cheema has also suspended at least 12 officials of different grades of his directorate in connection with the scam.
Raids at regional offices are also being conducted to check records to evaluate the exact number of the passports issued to undeserving individuals.
It is generally believed that a vast majority that purchased the blue passports has already left Pakistan and the cancellation of their passports is a futile exercise.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.