The London Olympics are set to begin at the end of July. -Photo by AFP

KARACHI: A British tabloid has allegedly uncovered a visa scam involving Pakistan's Olympic contingent.

According to the investigation, a group of travel agents and politicians are involved in the scam which allows anyone to travel with the Pakistani contingent as support staff if they pay a certain amount of money.

Fake passports, travel documents, a visa for two months and a letter from the Pakistan Sports Board claiming that the person is part of Pakistan's Olympic support staff can all be arranged for around one million Pakistani rupees (7000 pounds), it was reported.

Abid Chodhary, the politician and Dream Land travel agency were allegedly involved.

The British and Pakistani authorities have been notified. Pakistan's advisor to the Prime Minister on interior, Rehman Malik, said that the relevant people have been informed and will be looking into the matter.

Malik has formed a joint investigation team to investigate the scam.The team would include officials from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The Director General (DG) FIA would head the investigation team.

Eight employees of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) have been suspended and Chairman Nadra Tariq Malik has  has ordered inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani official, while talking to DawnNews, rubbished the story as an attempt to discredit Pakistan. He also added that it was not possible for anyone to sneak in as part of Pakistan's contingent as there were proper checks conducted and a lot of documentation required.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...