By Recorder Report

Copyright brecorder

ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Interior to quickly repatriate a machine-readable passport system from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, citing a decade of non-use. The system, which was installed in 2006, has been the subject of an audit objection due to its failure to become operational.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhary convened the meeting of the committee, which examined compliance of PAC directives on audit reports of the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Division.

During a committee meeting, officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Passport Office clarified the reasons behind the system’s dormancy. According to passport officials, the system initially worked for three months before being rendered useless. They claimed they were not allowed to run any kind of network to make it functional. “They are not letting any of our IT-related devices run there,” one official stated.

The lack of a working system has reportedly created significant difficulties, with one official citing the case of a government officer’s four-month-old child whose passport could not be processed, according to the officials.

The officials also raised concerns about data security. “If we run the internet, our data will be leaked,” a passport official said, explaining the hesitancy to connect the system to a network.

In response to the audit objection, a passport official offered to bring the system—described as a computer and a server—back to Pakistan. However, this proposal was met with scepticism from the committee convener, who questioned, “If you bring it back, where will you use it?”

Ultimately, the committee, exasperated by the prolonged issue, settled the matter with a clear directive: “Complete the process of returning this system quickly.” The decision marks the end of a long-standing audit objection and brings the fate of the unused equipment to a resolution.

The committee further requested a full inquiry report on the theft of 32,674 passport booklets, an issue that has been highlighted in a recent audit objection. The committee expressed serious concerns over the security protocols of the Passport Office and the potential misuse of the stolen documents.

During the meeting, the committee convener questioned officials on the security measures in place. “Where do you keep these passports that they get stolen so easily,” he asked, linking the theft to a broader security threat. “The fake passports and identity cards made by people from Afghanistan must have been used for this purpose,” the convener speculated, highlighting the potential national security implications.

In their defense, officials stated that the thefts occurred between 1994 and 2000 from 25 different offices. They assured the committee that immediate steps were taken to mitigate the damage. “We have put all the names in the PCL (Passport Control List), they have been blocked,” an official stated, adding that “these booklets have been blacklisted forever.”

NADRA officials also weighed in on the issue, explaining that a new system has been introduced to prevent similar incidents. “We have inquired about all suspicious identities,” a NADRA official said, detailing the new security measures.

The severity of the issue was underscored by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who asked, “For how long have we been fighting the war on terror.” His comment emphasised the critical nature of preventing such security breaches.

The audit officials requested that the inquiry report be shared with both them and the committee. The committee ultimately decided to settle the matter for now but with the condition that the Passport Office provides a comprehensive inquiry report on the theft.

This move signals the committee’s determination to get to the bottom of the long-standing security lapse and ensure that measures are put in place to prevent future occurrences.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025