ISLAMABAD – Pakistani investigative journalist exposed massive passport and ID card scam in which Afghan nationals were paying up to Rs500,000 to get Pakistani passports through sophisticated network.
A journalist of local TV channel disclosed that 20 brokers were at the center of this operation, allegedly working with NADRA and passport immigration officials to illegally issue Pakistani documents. After initial payment, another Rs250,000 was collected for passport processing.
The investigation revealed that fake Pakistani identity cards for Afghan citizens had been a recurring issue over several years. In light of national security threat, authorities placed serving Lieutenant General at the helm of NADRA, who, under Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, launched a crackdown that led to action against corrupt officers.
This scandal caused public outrage, exposing deep-rooted corruption in Pakistan’s identity verification systems and raising alarming questions about how criminal networks exploit official channels.
A massive identity fraud rocked Pakistan and NADRA’s newly developed software uncovered over 250,000 fake CNICs, mostly issued to Afghan nationals through illegal networks. Many were added to the family trees of Pakistani citizens after paying bribes to middlemen.
Authorities immediately blocked fraudulent IDs and instructed affected individuals to verify their identity at NADRA offices. Once verified, legitimate CNICs will be restored. This crackdown shows determination to safeguard national identity and security from fraudulent activities.
Court restores Arshad ‘Chaiwala’ Khan’s CNIC, declares him Pakistani citizen
