ISLAMABAD: Over 12,000 Afghan nationals were caught using fake Pakistani passports to travel to Saudi Arabia during the past five years, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior was told on Thursday.
Chairing the session, Senator Faisal Saleem said the briefing on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s law and order was postponed due to the absence of the province’s home secretary and police chief. The meeting began with Fateha for late Senator Taj Haider, and members expressed concern over the no-show by K-P officials.
Director General Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi informed the committee that 3,000 passports were altered through photo-swapping and 6,000 were issued using tampered NADRA data. He stated that most of the individuals involved had been deported to Afghanistan and were no longer in Pakistan.
Qazi confirmed that punitive action had been taken against officials involved in the scam, including 35 assistant directors. He also raised concerns about financial constraints, noting that despite generating Rs50 billion annually, his department struggled to secure budgetary support.
Separately, the committee discussed the issue of vehicles with tinted windows, with Excise Department Director Muhammad Bilal reporting Rs33 million in fines and multiple arrests since August. When questioned under which law such actions were being taken, an Interior Ministry official said there was no specific legislation, prompting the chair to suggest introducing a fee-based system.
The committee also raised alarm over illegal activities at guesthouses in Islamabad, where some were allegedly operating as shisha cafes, bars, and drug dens. The Islamabad IG assured members of action against such establishments and was asked to submit a list of all guesthouses and steps taken against those involved in unlawful activities.
