12,000 Afghan nationals caught with fake Pakistani passports in Saudi Arabia: Interior committee

Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan's Standing Committee on Interior has been informed that over 12,000 Afghan nationals were caught with fake Pakistani passports while travelling to Saudi Arabia in the past five years, raising serious concerns over tens of thousands more such cases of Afghan nationals being able to get fake Pakistani passports and using them to travel to different countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The revelation was done during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which was briefed about the ongoing repatriation process and ongoing campaign to nab illegal Afghan nationals, along with the law and order situation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

"At least 12,000 people reached Saudi Arabia on fake Pakistani passports. Of them, 3,000 had photo-swapped passports, while 6,000 passports were issued by tampering with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) data," informed Director General Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi.

"Most of the people who travelled on these fake documents were deported to Afghanistan. None of them are now in Pakistan," he added.

Qazi also revealed that strict action was taken against officials of NADRA and Passport Department officials, including at least 35 Assistant Directors.

The issue of Afghan nationals making fake identities and passports to travel abroad has been a serious challenge for years. Reliable sources revealed that this is one of the reasons why countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been rejecting visas for individuals from different cities of Pakistan. It is believed that thousands of Afghan nationals have been caught in possession of fake passports with their addresses being of different urban and rural cities of Pakistan.

"It is a fact that there are still thousands of Afghans in the UAE, with fake Pakistani identities and passports. The UAE government has been cracking down on them and has already arrested and deported many," said a Pakistani official in Dubai.

Pakistan is in process of deporting and repatriating thousands of illegal Afghan nationals and holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC). As per details, over 80,000 Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan since April 1, 2025.

In the latest and third phase of repatriation, Pakistani authorities have asked registered Afghan nationals, including holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, to voluntarily return to Afghanistan, adding that formal deportation and crackdown against them would start after the end of April 30 deadline.

Reader Comments

A

Ahmed K.

This is really concerning. Fake passports undermine our national security and reputation abroad. Kudos to the officials who uncovered this racket! 👏

S

Sadia R.

I feel for the genuine Pakistani passport holders who now face extra scrutiny because of these fake documents. The visa rejections mentioned in the article are affecting real citizens too.

M

Mohsin A.

While I understand the need for strict action, we should also consider why so many Afghans are desperate to leave their country. The humanitarian aspect can't be ignored.

F

Fatima N.

The article mentions action against officials - this is crucial! Corruption in NADRA has been an open secret for years. Hope they clean house properly this time.

T

Tariq J.

Respectful criticism: The article could have explored how these fake passports were made. Understanding the loopholes would help prevent future cases. Otherwise good reporting though.

Z

Zara B.

My cousin in Saudi says the crackdown there is real - many Pakistanis are being questioned extra carefully now. It's embarrassing that our passports are being forged like this 😔

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.