Islamabad, JULY26: Mustafa Jamal Qazi, the Director General of Immigration and Passports, informed a Senate committee that the backlog in passport applications had increased dramatically.
In an official statement, he informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that approximately 16.5 million applications were still pending in the “normal” category, but there was no backlog in the foreign category.However, given that the backlog was approximately 0.8 million in May, the number appears to be more than it should be, and some observers think the amount from the official release may be a typo.
The committee was told by Mr. Qazi on Thursday that the Passport and Immigration Department made Rs. 45 billion in revenue the previous year. In the upcoming meeting, the DG of Passport and Immigration was instructed by Senator Faisal Saleem Rahman, the committee chairman, to furnish information regarding official and diplomatic passports. The committee was informed on the Authority’s performance and activities by retired Lt. General Munir Afsar, the chairperson of Nadra.
The Chairman of Nadra clarified that 15.8 million cards were processed by Nadra last year, and that one of the authority’s responsibilities is to provide identification services to both domestic and foreign clients.
The committee expressed worry over phony CNICs that were given to citizens of Afghanistan. The chairman of Nadra announced that 3.8 million attempts to obtain CNICs through illicit means had been stopped, and 629 workers had had their employment terminated after it was determined that they had issued false CNICs to Afghans.
The committee gave Nadra praise for its initiatives to stop the issuance of phony CNICs.FIA Director General Ahmad Ishaque Jehangir told the committee during the meeting that the organization works all over the nation, with the exception of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The nationwide fight against corruption, money laundering, and cybercrime is the FIA’s mission. He stated, “Last year, the FIA saved 819.84 million electricity units, retrieved 6097 acres of Evacuee Trust land, seized Rs5.593 billion in Hawala and Hundi transactions, and looked into 45,080 connections to address claims of overbilling by distribution companies (Discos).”
The committee resolved to convene an additional meeting to deliberate on matters pertaining to Discos’ overbilling. The CDA chairman updated the committee on the organization’s latest endeavors. According to the CDA chairman, the government is dedicated to transforming CDA into a strong, vital organization with a greater online presence. According to him, the CDA has detected 1,200 ghost workers and recently digitalized its HR division.
In addition, the Punjab Land Record Authority and the CDA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding about the digitalization of land records, which is anticipated to be finished this year. The committee directed CDA to provide information regarding phantom workers and the most recent staff allotments.
The “The Fatal Accidents (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was another bill approved by the Senate committee. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Shahadat, said that its goals are to provide prompt justice and allow victims’ families to be compensated in the event that an accident results in death. Additionally, the “Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was approved by the committee.
The Bill aims to amend sections 431 and 431A and add section 59A to the CrPC. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Shahdat Awan, said that the goal of the legislation is to require law enforcement agencies to notify an accused person of the charges that led to their arrest under Section 59A. The right to fight a defamation lawsuit after the accused’s death is granted by Section 431A to the accused’s family.
A bill named “The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was also approved by the committee. The bill’s sponsor, senator Shahadat Awan, clarified that in addition to cash and promissory notes, the bill allows bank guarantees as collateral for those requesting bail.
