As many as 21,741 passport
booklets were stolen from various cities since 1999, a
document of the interior ministry revealed.
It has been mentioned in
the document that Passport and Immigration Wing (PIW)
of the interior ministry has so far taken action only
against low-paid employees in a few cases, while disciplinary
action is awaited against the responsible senior officials
of the wing.
The document said some
500 passport booklets were stolen from the office of political
agent of Mohmand Agency in April 1999. A circular was
immediately issued to all concerned to avoid misuse of
stolen passport booklets and a letter was sent to the
NWFP home secretary for inquiry.
Later, the inquiry was
conducted by an additional commissioner but no progress
has so far been made in this regard, the document said.
In the same year, a similar incident was reported in the
regional passport office in Muzaffarabad on April 12 from
where 184 passport booklets were stolen.
The case was registered
with the local police who interrogated the officers and
staff of the passport office concerned. A team headed
by the director (headquarters passport and immigration)
rushed to Muzaffarabad and held a meeting with the inspector
general of police and SSP to increase the pace of investigation.
But, the case is still
under investigation and further progress in the matter
is awaited. Meanwhile, some officers concerned were awarded
'minor' penalty. About 1,960 passport booklets were stolen
from regional passport office D.I.Khan in August 1999.
In this case Mukhtar Ahmed,
the then superintendent, was in charge of the office as
Abdul Aleem, the assistant director regional passport
office D.I.Khan, was on leave. Both Abdul Aleem and Mukhtar
Ahmed were retired from service on completion of 60 years
service and no action was taken against them, the document
said.
In a similar incident,
about 1,121 passport booklets were stolen from regional
passport office Sialkot in March 2000. In this case the
staff of the office was interrogated by the local police
and the security guard was arrested. However, he was later
released.
A preliminary inquiry was
conducted into the matter and none of the officials was
found involved, therefore no disciplinary action was initiated
against any official of this office, the document said.
In the same year, 2,206
passport booklets were found missing from the regional
passport office Quetta. The case is still being investigated
by the local police and the army and services of Tariq
Mehmood who was working as assistant director on ad hoc
basis has been terminated. But no other official was taken
to task.
The document said in June
2000, some 2,160 passport booklets were stolen from regional
passport office Abbottabad. Two watchmen and a security
guard were arrested, but they were later released.
About 2,117 passport booklets
were taken away from regional passport office Multan in
June 2001. Inquiries were conducted by the deputy director
immigration and passports (Lahore) but none of the officials
of this office was found involved and no disciplinary
proceedings were initiated against them.
The interior ministry's
document said during transit to Gujranwala some 1,000
passport booklets were stolen in September 2001. But the
matter was still under investigation.
Some 2,000 passport booklets
were found missing from the custody of the railway authorities
Peshawar in December 2001. An inquiry was initiated and
six officials of Pakistan Railways were held responsible
but no action was taken against any official of the passport
wing.
The document said 1,400
passport booklets were stolen from regional passport office
Sukkur in May 2002. The case is under investigation. About
3,000 passport booklets were snatched from postal authorities
during transit to Swat in August 2002.
Disciplinary action was
to be taken against Zahir Shah, an employee of the postal
authority, which is still awaited. The document said 3,975
passport booklets were found missing from regional passport
office Faisalabad in May 2003. An inquiry was initiated
against the assistant director, Khalid Memon, but the
matter is still under investigation.
