Despite the setback last year and amid ongoing rightsizing measures, the government is working vigorously to establish a new Passport and Border Control Authority (PBCA).
Some powers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be abolished, especially those related to immigration.
In addition, a proposal is currently under consideration to replace the Directorate General of Immigration and all responsibilities of passports with a better leadership.
Last year, an attempt to establish a similar authority, the Pakistan Immigration, Passports and Visa Authority (PIPVA), reportedly failed due to widespread opposition from police officers in the agency.
Recent incidents of human trafficking and illegal border crossings from Iran, Afghanistan and India have not only highlighted the aforementioned initiative once again but also exposed it as a threat to national security.
Informed sources said that despite the armed forces and some civil law enforcement agencies guarding the 7,500-km border with neighboring countries, there is a need for more surveillance at about 16 to 18 entry and exit points.
An official said that the first two attempts to set up the new authority focused more on passport-related issues, due to which it failed, but the proposal has now shifted to one related to threats to national security, human and goods smuggling.
The proposal claimed that the FIA is currently looking into matters related to immigration and white-collar crime investigations, which are creating problems like incompetence, corruption, and mismanagement.
The official said that “unfortunately, many Pakistanis have lost their lives trying to go abroad illegally.”
