Fraudster Reaches India Using Fake Passport of Attorney General’s Office Lawyer, Senate Committee Told

Islamabad: A startling disclosure was made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, where it was revealed that a fraudster traveled to India using a fake passport issued in the name of a lawyer associated with the Attorney General’s Office, with the identity fraud allegedly carried out through NADRA.

Senator Afnanullah raised the issue in the committee and said that a consultant of the Attorney General’s Office had his identity misused, enabling a fraudster to travel to India in 2023. He brought the affected lawyer to the committee meeting and asked members to hear his account directly.

The affected lawyer told the committee that an unknown individual used his identity and passport to travel to India, due to which he and his parents were taken to NADRA offices and forced to prove their Pakistani citizenship.

Director General Passports informed the committee that NADRA had shared several such fraud cases with his department and that a dashboard system has been developed to help prevent travel through forged identities.

Senator Palwasha Khan questioned how identity theft occurred at NADRA and how sensitive data was leaked. In response, the DG Passports said that citizens often share passport and CNIC details on WhatsApp, from where data leakage is possible.

Senator Talha Mahmood alleged that NADRA had also issued identity cards to Afghan nationals and terrorists. The DG Passports responded that the case in question occurred in 2023, but significant technological improvements have since been introduced in both NADRA and the passport department.

Senator Afnanullah stated that data from NADRA, banks, and the Federal Board of Revenue is available on the dark web, claiming that personal data can be purchased for as little as Rs500. He emphasized that such large-scale data theft is not possible without involvement from within the institutions.

The DG Passports assured the committee that it is now impossible to issue fake passports and guaranteed improved security measures.

The affected lawyer further informed the committee that he holds dual nationality and uses a British passport for travel. He said he has been waiting for a meeting with the DG Passports for over a year.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the Government of Pakistan is establishing a cyber security authority and suggested that Senator Afnanullah be sent for a detailed briefing on NADRA regarding the issue.