SAHIWAL: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) found a gang of 15, including the deputy director of the Passport Office, two officials of the Special Branch and several intermediary agents, for extorting money from people in exchange for expediting their passport process.

According to FIA officials, the racket allegedly charged applicants between Rs1,000 and Rs5,000 under various coded categories in addition to the official passport fees both for normal and fast-track passports. Hashim Raza, Deputy Director FIA Sahiwal, told Dawn that 10 suspects had been arrested while five others, including two Special Branch officials, managed to escape.

The operation was led by SHO Mustehsan Khan. The 15 suspects have been booked under The suspects were identified as Murad Ali Zaidi (deputy director), Abdul Waheed, Dastageer (Passport Office security guard), Samual Nanha (sweeper), Tahir Hussain, Sajjad Hussain (Special Branch officials), Umer Farooq, Talha Usmani (father of Sajjad Hussain), Abdul Jabbar, Talha Hussain, Taha Khan, Muhammad Irshad, Ismail Shakir, Mubarik Ali, and Ghulam Dastagir (agents). Of them, Tahir Hussain, Sajjad Hussain, Ijaz Qadri (agent), Abdul Wahab (security guard), and sweeper Samual Nanha are absconding.

The passport office officials would raise unnecessary objections on application forms under the coded categories to extract bribes.

The investigators revealed that Passport Office Deputy Director Murad Zaidi had established links with local agents, including Ijaz Qadri, Tahir Hussain and Sajjad Hussain who operated a computer shop outside the Passport Office on Jail Road.

Sources said Zaidi confessed that he remained in contact with agents through designated intermediaries.

Dawn learnt from sources today Judicial Magistrate Khawaja Mahad Hussain has granted a 14-day judicial remand for 10 arrested suspects, directing the FIA to produce them again on Aug 6.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026