ISLAMABAD: The fate of holders of multiple passports hangs in the balance as the interior ministry has decided not to extend amnesty period for cancellation of additional passports beyond Jan 30, 2014.

Sources told Dawn that a large number of individuals had obtained more than one passport on the basis of multiple computerised national identity cards (CNICs) issued to them by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). Most of such passports were issued when the automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) was not in use.

Fraudulent information, including change of date of birth, name and parentage, was used by applicants to obtain more than one passport.

After introduction of the AFIS, the officials detected the cases of issuance of more than one passport to individuals who were blacklisted — and barred from obtaining a new passport or getting their passports renewed.

Following frequent requests from the passport holders, the immigration and passports department requested the interior ministry in June 2006 to formulate a policy about cancellation of additional passports on the ground that many of the blacklisted people had valid visas and wanted to go abroad for employment or education.

The recommendation of the department for grant of amnesty to the people tendering written apology and producing a certificate from Nadra about cancellation of any additional CNIC was approved by the ministry.

The amnesty was initially granted for the period up to July 26, 2006 and was later extended up to Dec 31, 2009 with some changes in the cancellation policy like a penalty and police verification.

It was further extended till June 30, 2011 in Dec 2010 and till Jan 2014 in Feb 2013.

The passports department received 6,469 applications from individuals for removing their names from the blacklist from 2009 to 2013.

According to the sources, 5,086 applications have been disposed of and 1,383 are under process. An official said all cases of multiple passports recovered under the amnesty policy would be disposed of in accordance with the policy.

But it is not clear what will happen to holders of duplicate or multiple passports who could not avail the amnesty, many of whom might have gone abroad before placement of their names on the blacklist. It is also not clear if all cases of multiple passports have been detected.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2014