Pakistan has deported 12,000 Afghans using fraudulent passports, says federal official

About 12,000 Afghan nationals who had obtained fraudulent Pakistani passports have been deported, a high-ranking official from Pakistan's premier federal law enforcement agency told lawmakers Thursday, amid Pakistan's sweeping deportation campaign of Afghan refugees.

Mustafa Jamal Qazi, Director General of Passports for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), revealed to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the fake passports were created through various methods, including database breaches and photo manipulation.

Qazi told the committee that 6,000 fake Pakistani passports were created through intrusions into the National Database and Registration Authority's database, while 3,000 fake passports were produced through photo swapping. He added that data for an additional 4,500 passports remains unavailable.

Saudi Arabia has returned 1,296 fake Pakistani passports after they were used by foreigners attempting to enter the kingdom, Qazi said. Most fraudulent documents originated from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, and the Punjab cities of Gujrat and Gujranwala.

Qazi explained that Afghan nationals had traveled to Saudi Arabia using fake Pakistani passports and subsequently informed Saudi authorities about their true nationality. These Afghan nationals were then deported to Afghanistan.

The passport scandal has resulted in significant disciplinary actions within Pakistan's government agencies. Qazi informed the Senate that all fake passports in Pakistan have been canceled. He stated that 35 FIA Assistant Directors have been terminated and 34 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered. According to Qazi, 7,000 identification cards were verified as part of the investigation.

A legal representative from the National Database and Registration Authority told senators that a "massive intrusion" into the agency's system occurred in 2023, prompting the formation of a Joint Investigation Team and subsequent security improvements.

Qazi told the committee that the passport department generates PKR 50 billion in revenue for the government each year, yet receives minimal budget allocation. The Minister of State for Interior added that officials have to plead with the government for salary funds.

Intensifying crackdown

The revelation comes amid Pakistan's intensifying crackdown on Afghan migrants. Since April 1, more than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan after authorities canceled residence permits for hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals.

Millions of Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan over several decades of conflict, with hundreds of thousands more arriving since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghanistan is currently facing severe humanitarian challenges, including restrictions on women's education and employment.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, though Taliban leaders deny these allegations. Analysts suggest the mass deportations are designed to pressure Taliban authorities in Kabul.