Afghanistan: Citizens acquire passports with fake illness documents under Taliban's policy

People in Afghanistan are purchasing fake illness documents to apply for the passport, in accordance with the unpremeditated policy drafted by the Taliban that makes the unwell Afghan citizens eligible to acquire a passport using the documentation as proof. All sick people, government employees, and sportsmen are eligible to get their passports issued under the country’s new rules, Pajhwok Afghan News reports. After the US troop drawdown, Kabul briefly halted the passport distribution process, but the newly established all-male cabinet of the Taliban resumed the issuance formulating new laws on September 5. 

Passport Director Alam Gul Haqqani announced that new passport forms will be distributed only to sick persons, government officials, and the sports figures, ANI reported on Sunday. This has flared the illegal activities as citizens are now rushing to obtain fake documents to get a passport. A spokesperson for the Central Passport Department told Pajhwok Afghan News that the distribution of passports in the capital was suspended as per directives of the Ministry of Interior earlier but the process was started online in order to deter overcrowding at the centres amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. This, however, has led the Afghans into opting for an illegal approach to get their passports. 

32 Afghan provinces undergoing process

The passport-issuing process in Afghanistan commenced in 14 more provinces as of December last year, pushing the total number of provinces to 32 currently undergoing the process. “Afghans in Kabul desperately need passports and are eagerly waiting for the passport office to reopen,” ANI reported, adding that the passport department data shows that over 125,000 passports have been issued so far. Pajhwok's own investigation showed that Afghans are rampantly getting the fake illness documents by offering money to the commission agents, and have been obtaining the passports on the basis of this illegitimate documentation.

A woman named Zulaikha [named changed] from the Kart-i-Parwan locality of Kabul told the Pakistan Observer that at the time when the passport distribution process started, several Afghans wanted to avail themselves of the opportunity quickly. But the Passport Office head announced that only sick persons could apply for passports. "My supervisor, who was a foreigner, stressed that I should have a passport so I referred to a commission agent in Jamhuriat Hospital," she told the newspaper on Sunday.