ISLAMABAD: The government has announced amnesty scheme for holders of multiple Pakistani passports and the amnesty scheme will be applicable till December 31.

According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, the summary forwarded by the Interior Ministry has been approved by the federal cabinet during the previous meeting. The scheme will be applicable to Pakistan citizens who have more than one passport, it said.

Section 6 (Passports Act 1974) reads, a person shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, if he: obtains more than one passport for himself either in the same or different names by concealing the fact of his already being in possession of a passport.

It says that the government through an amnesty scheme under Section 12 of the Passport Act has pardoned punishment of those having more than one Pakistani passport.

Different governments had announced six amnesty schemes from 2006 to 2016 for multiple passport holders through over 12,000 passports had been cancelled.

According to the Ministry of Interior, under the amnesty scheme, 38,000 Pakistan passports can be cancelled.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022