The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised concerns over widespread passport theft in Pakistan, after revelations that thousands of passports were stolen from multiple offices across the country.
During a meeting of Subcommittee IV, chaired by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Passports Director General Mustafa Qazi disclosed that thousands of passports had been taken from 25 passport offices over the years. “All passports in these cases were blocked,” Qazi assured. “They have not been reviewed, nor will they be.”
Audit officials informed the committee that nearly 32,600 passports were stolen from offices in Abbottabad and other locations. Chaudhry expressed alarm, stating, “This is a very worrying matter. Under the current circumstances, these stolen passports could be misused.”
Responding to the concerns, DG Qazi said the Ministry of Interior had already arrested foreigners who illegally traveled to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan, while Afghan citizens involved were deported by Riyadh. He added that measures are being taken to digitize the passport system to curb future passport theft in Pakistan.
Auditing authorities further noted that a cyber-audit of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was carried out two years ago, making it more difficult to forge documents. The subcommittee directed DG Qazi to submit a detailed inquiry report.