A parliamentary committee has been informed that thousands of passports were stolen from passport offices across Pakistan over the years, raising concerns about potential misuse.
The disclosure came during a meeting of the Public Accounts Sub-Committee chaired by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. Director General of Passports Mustafa Qazi revealed that 25 passport offices had reported thefts involving thousands of documents.
Audit officials told the committee that at least 32,674 passports were stolen from offices, including those in Abbottabad. The DG said all stolen passports had been blocked, adding that renewals on these documents were impossible.
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Expressing alarm, the committee convener said the situation was “deeply concerning” as the stolen passports could be misused given the current security environment.
The DG added that some foreign nationals had attempted travel on the stolen passports, but they were arrested abroad. Saudi authorities deported Afghan citizens caught using such documents.
Qazi assured the committee that since the incident, the passport and NADRA systems had been fully digitised, making forgery and misuse “very difficult.”
The committee instructed the DG Passports to submit a detailed inquiry report on the thefts. Separately, the session also reviewed audit observations of the Ministry of Interior.