IT is a known fact that every year many innocent Pakistanis are sent abroad through illegal means. In this regard, issuance of fake passports plays a vital role.
Since passport is the most important document that one must carry in order to travel abroad, most people desperately want it made. Therefore, once it is issued through fraudulent means, the rest of the criminal procedures follow with no serious hiccups. As a result, on the one hand it causes serious monetary losses and humiliation to the traveller; on the other hand, it tarnishes Pakistan’s reputation.
This has been going on for years. The situation has damaged the country’s reputation so much that now Pakistani green passports are separately checked at different international airports.
Despite the fact that the government in the past took a number of measures from time to time to nab people involved in the issue and to check issuance of passports through wrong means, it didn’t bear any good results. Obviously, when corruption and malpractices are rampant in a society, chances of getting the desired results become slim.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the government has decided to use the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in order to come up with a project, which should minimize, if not eliminate, the number of cases involving the issuance of fake passports. Checking identification and authenticity of passport holders’ specifications is the main objective of the project.
Nadra, having studied such projects already functioning in different countries, has developed a system, which is unique in features as compared to projects of this kind world over and provides complete identification and recognition solutions.
Nadra is all set to launch the machine-readable passport project (MRP) in September. This could have been functional earlier had there not been issues of handing over of premises and equipment by the Passport Registration Office to Nadra.
With the issuance of machine-readable passports, Pakistan will be the first country in the world to issue a passport using both the Automatic Finger Identification and the Facial Recognition systems. It makes Pakistan one of the very few, if not the only, countries to use the existing name, photograph, signature etc of the applicant directly from the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) database for making the passport.
The basic considerations for designing the machine-readable project involves a different facade of the old green passport. There is a recommended change in the green colour for the normal passport and incorporation of state-of-the-art physical and technical security features. All these features are thought to be extremely user-friendly to the international immigration officers. The MRP project ensures minimum special equipment and easily recognizable authentication procedures.
The passport production process starts with token generation once an applicant applies for the machine-readable passport. Token is generated when the CNIC is swapped through 2D barcode reader having details such as the serial number, CNIC number and name of the applicant etc. For biometric identification the applicant’s thumbs and two fingers are scanned. A digital photograph of the applicant is also taken. Here, disabled people are given special options.
Date entry involves entry of data in English, if not already available. In case of a Pakistani national (passport) thumb impression and digital photo are taken and matched with the passport database. In case of a foreign national (visa) facial match with visa database is done.
Nadra has already completed its research and development for inserting a data chip in the passport. This chip can be checked through the Automated Border Control System (prepared by Nadra) to be installed at all entry and exit points of the country.
As per the Visit Waiver Policy announced by the United States, insertion of this chip in the passports of their citizens would be a must for all countries. Pakistan would be the first country to issue passports through such state-of-the-art technology.
Once launched, the MRP projects will benefit Pakistan tremendously. First, it will help the country to check the menace of human smuggling. Second, it will help the country procure contracts for skilled and semi-skilled workforce from different countries, which otherwise are denied because of illegal Pakistani immigrants. Also, it will save people from monetary loses and humiliation while being exploited at the hands of illegal manpower agents.
Unabated human smuggling from Pakistan to the Middle Eastern and other countries over the years has badly damaged the image of the country. This involves smuggling of women from other countries into Pakistan and then onwards to the UAE and other countries as slaves and workers. Similarly, Pakistani children are smuggled to the UAE for camel racing. In most of these cases, people are smuggled on fake passports. Despite all efforts by the government, these issues could not be resolved. The MRP is set to facilitate the government in checking this menace effectively.
Apart from that reports of the arrest of illegal Pakistani immigrants while entering into Middle Eastern, European and other countries are received every now and then. If a large number unlucky people lose their lives while crossing rough seas and mountainous areas, those who are caught are deported after making them serve their terms in jails. All these cases involve illegal agents who lure jobless youth to send them abroad at the cost of their lives. A few months ago it was reported that over a thousand Pakistanis were deported from Oman.
