12,000 Fake Pakistani Passports Handed to the Embassy by Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has taken matters into its own hands and has launched a crackdown in which they caught 12,000 fake Pakistani passports issued. The majority of these passports were confiscated from Afghan nationals over fake National Identity Cards issued by NADRA officials.

They were recovered majorly by illegal migrants, most of them were said to have also possessed fake CNIC cards issued by NADRA officials. A committee has been called forth to issue this pressing matter at hand and investigate into the matter to see how this would have occured. 

Creation of Committee to Tackle The Issue

Sources suggest that a committee consisting of 5 members has been formed by the Interior Minister as the Saudi Government gave a deadline of 15 days to investigate into the matter and provide recommendations so such an incident might not occur in the future. The chairman of the committee will be the Passport and Immigration Directorate, Gen Mustafa Jamal Kazi. Senior officials from NADRA and FIA are also a part of the panel.

This probe committee has been given a deadline of 15 days to resolve the matter and provide suggestions to avoid it in the future. Moreover, they’re urged to catch the culprits involved in the scam from NADRA and the FIA.

The news surfaced last week when the Saudi Government informed the Pakistani Embassy on the recovery of 12,000 fake Pakistani passports. However, at that time the situation was defused by saying that the main culprit behind this was Umer Javed from Lahore and he has been caught.

Involvement of NADRA Staff in Issuing Fake CNICs

When the news surfaced, in the same week the Chairman of NADRA, Lt Gen Munir Asfar had formally informed the Senate about the involvement of some of his staff in the issuance of fake CNICs. He conveyed how it had come to his knowledge about the staff issuing fake IDs, and selling families data over the black market.

Moreover, the Chairman informed how swift action has been taken by the NADRA officials involved and almost 84 officials have been suspended so far. Check out our interview of Chairman NADRA at “Lieutenant General Munir Afsar Appointed as New Chairman of NADRA: But Who Is He?“