ISLAMABAD – The government on Saturday said an inquiry had been ordered into a scam regarding issuance of visas by foreign missions on basis of recommendations made by the officials in those offices.
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement that the Foreign Office had instituted a formal inquiry into allegations regarding the visa scam. He said, “The findings would be shared.” Basit, however, called a media report regarding the visa scam “rather sensational” and said it “contains serious allegations” about the involvement of the Foreign Ministry in the scam.
The media report that appeared on Saturday said the Protocol Wing of the Foreign Ministry was allegedly involved in human smuggling by sending recommendation letters to foreign missions in Islamabad to issue visas to a large number of private individuals without checking their credibility and background.
The report claimed that a large number of introductory letters, including those on behalf of the foreign minister, were issued to foreign embassies to facilitate the issuance of visas to individuals without checking their credentials.
It alleged that the Protocol Wing even issued introductory letters to an agent who was recently probed in a widely-reported human smuggling case where two individuals were sent abroad as sons of Federal Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, who later denied any involvement in the scam.
