Pakistani Government Admits Cipher Assistant’s Role in Afghan Visa Violation
The government has confessed in a Senate session that a cipher assistant at the Pakistani Embassy in Sweden was involved in granting visas to Afghan nationals, a breach of government guidelines. The case has been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigation and necessary action.
Cipher Assistant’s Unauthorized Visa Issuance Incident Uncovered
During the Senate’s question hour, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari confirmed in writing that Sair Khan, a cipher assistant, was implicated in the unauthorized issuance of visas to Afghan nationals. Khan’s actions were in violation of government guidelines and prompted immediate attention.
Measures Taken to Address the Issue
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, responding to supplementary questions, emphasized the government’s serious approach to the matter. Although Khan retired after being recalled from Stockholm, the incident prompted the establishment of a precedent for future occurrences. Khar highlighted the complexity of Afghan nationals’ visa procedures, often involving concessions on medical and humanitarian grounds. To prevent future misuse, the authority for visa issuance has been restricted to the heads of missions.
One Plus Two” Arrangement Explained
Khar explained the context of an “one plus two” arrangement in Sweden, where an assistant was granted authority for visa issuance. However, Khar dispelled the notion that the entire embassy staff was complicit in the irregularity. Khar expressed her intention to approach the FIA for updates on the ongoing investigation.
Official Vehicle Usage and Expenditure Discussed
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto provided information on official vehicle usage and expenditure. Currently, there are 41 authorized vehicles at the disposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for operational requirements. The vehicles are utilized by the MoFA’s general pool, camp offices, and SECDIV Division. Bhutto clarified that no vehicle from the ministry’s pool was assigned for security duties. He added that no officer availing monetization used an official vehicle. Bhutto shared expenditure details, revealing over Rs 30 million spent on vehicle-related costs from April 2022 to February 2023. This included Rs 23.8 million on fuel and Rs 6.53 million on maintenance.
Ongoing Audit Process and Call for Information Sharing
In response to concerns over spending on fuel and maintenance, Minister of State Khar assured that the audit process was continuous and staff exercised caution in resource usage. Khar encouraged members to provide data from other departments for comparison, forming the basis for discussions on expenditure patterns.