KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has exposed a major case of passport fraud in which 72 Afghan nationals received Pakistani passports through forged documents.
Investigators say a network of facilitators, agents, and some officials helped foreign nationals obtain these documents by claiming they were Pakistani citizens. The case centers on the Awami Markaz branch of the Passport Office in Karachi.
How the Passports Were Issued
According to FIA officials, the group prepared fake papers, including Family Registration Certificates (FRCs) and other identity records, to bypass normal checks. Key facts about the applicants’ real nationality were hidden.
Of the 72 passports, 53 were handled by Assistant Director Farooq Sial. The remaining 19 were processed by Night Shift In-Charge Muhammad Baqar Raza. Authorities say standard procedures were ignored in these cases.
Irregularities Found in Investigation
FIA’s Counter Terrorism Wing in Karachi started the inquiry after receiving intelligence reports. Teams seized all 72 application forms and related records from the Regional Passport Office in Saddar.
Preliminary checks showed several problems:
- Forged or questionable supporting documents
- Discrepancies in Family Registration Certificates
- Signs of photo tampering
- Same contact numbers used in multiple applications
These findings point to a coordinated effort rather than random mistakes. Officials suspect some staff from the Passport Department and NADRA may have helped the network.
