Sushma Swaraj said that instructions have been issued to all authorities concerned, to exercise caution while processing applications of the affected persons for re-issuance of their passports
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said that the passports of 23 Indians were 'misplaced' by the Pakistani High Commission. The government has declared them to be "lost".
It islearnedt that the Indians, whose passports went missing, had applied for a visa in the Pakistan High Commission to travel to that country.
"The Ministry of External Affairs has received information that a total 23 passports have been misplaced by the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi," external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha.
"To prevent misuse of these passports, all the passports have been declared as 'lost' in the passport database," she said.
The minister said that instructions have been issued to all authorities concerned, to exercise caution while processing applications of the affected persons for re-issuance of their passports.
The Indians whose passport went missing belonged to the Sikh community and applied for a visa in Pakistan High Commission to visit Gurudwaras, including the Kartarpur Sahib, in that country.
Pakistan issued visas to over 3,800 Sikh pilgrims to participate in the birthday anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev there from November 21-30.
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