Saudi Arabia Seizes 12,000 Pakistani Passports from Afghan Nationals

Saudi Arabian authorities have taken action against a substantial operation involving the seizure of 12,000 Pakistani passports from Afghan nationals. The move is a result of a rigorous crackdown initiated by law enforcement agencies to curb the issuance of counterfeit citizenship documents to illegal migrants within the country, with a particular focus on Afghan nationals.

The Saudi authorities acted promptly by notifying the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh about the recovery of this substantial number of Pakistani passports from Afghan citizens.

To investigate this alarming situation, Mustafa Kazi, the Director General of the Immigration and Passports Directorate, along with the Federal Investigation Agency, have launched a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.

Subsequent investigations have led to the apprehension of the primary suspect, Umar Javed, who was taken into custody in Lahore for his involvement in producing fake passports. Javed’s arrest came following the interrogation of both a former officer and a serving grade-15 officer of the Passport Directorate.

According to sources cited by Geo News, these Pakistani passports were issued to Afghan citizens based on counterfeit identity cards. Notably, Director General Mustafa Kazi, who recently assumed his post, has been actively collaborating with FIA officials to identify and apprehend those responsible for fabricating these counterfeit passports.

In a related development, Lieutenant General Munir Afsar, Chairman of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), shared alarming information with the Senate Committee on Interior. He revealed that some Nadra staff members were involved in the issuance of fake Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs). During the committee session addressing concerns about fake CNICs, the availability of citizens’ family data in the black market, and the issuance of multiple SIMs on a single CNIC—all of which have been exploited in illegal activities—General Afsar disclosed that action had been taken against 84 officials involved in illicit activities.

Furthermore, he pointed out the absence of specific legislation addressing privacy matters, which sometimes allowed guilty employees to evade punishment. In response, the Senate panel recommended the implementation of modern measures to effectively tackle these pressing issues and safeguard the integrity of the country’s identity documents and citizenship records.