The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was briefed on Wednesday that thousands of passports have been stolen from passport offices in various parts of the country over the years, raising concerns about possible misuse.
During a meeting of Subcommittee IV of the PAC, chaired by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Director General of Passports Mustafa Qazi confirmed that the thefts occurred at 25 passport offices. He stated that all stolen passports had been blocked and would not be used again.
Audit officials reported that as many as 32,600 passports were stolen from offices, including those in Abbottabad. Committee chairman Chaudhry expressed alarm, noting the potential risks in the current security environment.
Qazi informed the committee that the Ministry of Interior had taken action against foreigners who had traveled illegally to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan. He said Afghan citizens deported from Riyadh were among those identified.
Following the incidents, Qazi said efforts are underway to fully digitize the passport system to prevent such breaches. He added that a cyber-audit of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was carried out two years ago, making it more difficult to create fake documents.
The subcommittee has directed Qazi to submit a detailed inquiry report on the matter.