(APL) UK Lawyers demand British authorities of an enquiry into lost Pakistani passports fiasco, and ask o resume normal visa service at Islamabad

 Association of Pakistani Lawyers (APL), a team of Pakistani origin lawyers, Solicitors, Barristers, Judges in UK have taken serious note of the news report that British authorities have lost 150 or more Pakistani passports though report suggested that it may include thousands of lost travel documents.

APL said that it has long shown and shared reservations with British Authorities on the use of third parties to process visa service to start with and APL shared deep concerns when visa service was moved to Abu Bhabi too. This practice caused anxiety as passport was at one place, visa office with documents another and no interview on most occasion was offered which caused serious doubts on decision making process, caused delay and anxiety and risk losing identity documents.

APL said that as these concerns were shared with British Authorities, and figure does not include the lost documents at home land which were never returned to thousands of the applicants in UK. APL has demanded the UK Premier that in order to avoid those lost documents being used for anti state purposes and or identity theft or fraud a broad based enquiry is the need of the hour to rule out misuse of those Pakistani travel documents for any crime.

APL has confirmed that they are writing to British Premier and Home Secretary to initiate enquiry, suspend contracts with third parties and initiate visa process service at the British High Commission Islamabad normally in order to facilitate normal visa service which is delay free addressing the public anxiety that their documents are not in wrong hands especially third parties having Indian links,  who are not British Govt representatives.

APL apprehended that this view has been formed due to recent months British passport were used in perpetrating crime in Dubai whilst killing a Palestinian leader which creates many suspicions that in such volatile situation globally any document which has a potential to be used against a state in a blame game needs to be addressed carefully, speedily and sensitively to root out its misuse. Shifting responsibility to Gerry’s Fedex and/or to Abu Bhabi is not a solution to visa problems, normal visa service at Islamabad is, and that route must be adopted to gain public confidence on the visa system which is fair, transparent, and speedy. Public confidence at present is shattered by the news of loss of thousands of those documents who may end up in wrong hands at a wrong time, and that needs to be repaired by authorities quickly with concrete steps forward.

Amjad Malik, MA, LLM

Chair Association of Pakistani Lawyers (UK)