ISLAMABAD: Legally, all that a citizen of Pakistan needs to get the green passport is his or her Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). But many discover, to their annoyance, that it is not that simple.

“Your features must always match your photographic image on the CNIC,” said Ahmer Naqvi, an applicant who was turned away by the Passport Office in Islamabad for that reason.

How the staff of the passport office in G-10 sector matches the features really baffled him.

“They told me that on my CNIC I have short hair whereas my present appearance is different,” Mr Ahmer, 32, told Dawn.

Their helpful advice that he either cut his hair or get his picture on the CNIC changed didn’t cut much ice with him. So he approached the Passport Head Office in G-8 – only to be advised to act on the advice or forget about a new passport.

“And that was when the passport office had all the information about the passports and ID cards that I have held in the past 16 years,” said the exasperated applicant.

“A passport official told me that in spite of all that data his office cannot take a risk because passport forgeries have increased,” he said.

His persistence with the officialdom eventually won him his right to have a new passport – without having his hair shortened for it.

But not all mismatched applicants can be as lucky and as determined as Mr Ahmer and have to follow the advice and instructions of the passport office.

Ms Mehvish Bhatti got her picture on the CNIC changed because the passport office noted that her hair and health had changed.

Four years back, she went to a passport office in Lahore to get her passport renewed. An official completed the process of data entry and at the end had a look at her CNIC and then her. He advised her to get a new CNIC, with her latest photograph, before seeking a new passport.

“Naturally, my hair and physique had changed in the four years that my old passport lasted,” she said. “I told them they should match my thumb impressions which never change. But the argument didn’t impress them and they insisted that I should get a new CNIC first.”

Meraj Khalid, an employee of a tour operator, told Dawn that a lot of people believe that their picture on the passport has a vital role in getting visa.

“Turkish embassy officials interview visa applicants so people don’t care about the picture factor. But the picture becomes important for the visa officers of those embassies which receive visa applications via private companies, like the United Kingdom and the United States missions do,” he said.

There the picture acquires extra significance for other reasons too.

“Some people shave off their facial hair, I mean their moustache or beard, just to appear liberal to tough visa officers. But that’s childish as because tough embassies issue visas on the basis of documents and not on the basis of applicant’s appearance,” he said.

“I know of some Pakistanis whom Singapore and Malaysia turned away because their picture on the travel document did not match their appearance,” he added.

Zafar Ali, a representative of Ronseft International firm that helps people to get visa and work abroad, says that changing pictures and tampering with passport entries were practiced by desperate people all over the world.

“But the passport office should not refuse passport applications just on the basis of pictures,” he told Dawn. “Such practices will lead to crisis as now you can get a passport valid for 10 years and physical features can change during that period.”

Since the issue became a hot topic on the social media, Nadra has stated that it registers all citizens who can demonstrate their nationality and prove their identity and issues them CNICs irrespective of their age, gender, religion, ethnicity or other factors.

“It is possible that our Data Entry Operator ask you further questions to prove your identity - especially in cases where your current appearance does not resemble the image on your previous card.

“However, under no circumstances will he or she instruct you to get a haircut. If people face any such difficulties at Nadra they should contact at helpline or social media page of Nadra,” it says.

However, when Dawn contacted the Passport Office, it was informed that the Ministry of Interior has put a ban on any interaction with the media.

A senior official would only say on the condition of anonymity that “it is a technical issue and people should understand that it is being done in their best interest.”

“When an application for the passport is received, picture of the applicant is compared with the picture in the CNIC to avoid possibility of forgery. If picture of the applicant is different from that on the CNIC, his passport is blocked. It is not an easy job. We do it manually,” he said.

“If some one has a beard and suddenly turns clean shaven, there can be some reason behind it. So his case (of seeking a passport) is blocked. It is being done because people try to make fake passports,” he added.

“Indian, Afghans and Bengalis have been caught having CNICs. Their cases have been sent to Nadra for checking which can be done by checking their appearance,” he said. “We have Automatic Finger Investigation System which can only work in Pakistan as we don’t share our data with other countries.

According to Director Federal Investigation Agency Islamabad, Inam Ghani, many people provide fake identities to secure passport. They use CNICs of their relatives or with similar names.

“Some acquire dual passports with different pictures. If a change is noticed in the visible distinct feature of a person’s pictures in the CNIC and his passport application form, the passport is blocked,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2015

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