Plea in Pakistan SC as Saudi Arabia contracts out Haj pilgrims’ biometric verification to India firm

[Ryuzaki]

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday received an application requesting it to intervene and order the Pakistan government to voice its concern against Saudi Arabia contracting out biometric verification of Haj and Umrah pilgrims to an “Indian firm”, the Dawn reported.

Under a week-old modification in Saudi’s Hajj and Umrah laws to make biometric verification mandatory for pilgrims, Hajj visitors from Pakistan would have to undergo the additional procedure in order to submit their applications for the relevant Umrah visa. One of the firms known to be given the contract of collection of fingerprint data from the Pakistani pilgrims, according to the Express Tribune, is a Dubai-based company, with an Indian national as one of its directors.

Dawn reported that the application submitted by one Nadeem A. Shaikh stated that “Pakistani citizens’ data in the hands of an Indian company is a matter of national security”. It also mentioned that Iran, India, Egypt and Bangladesh have already refused biometric verification of their pilgrims.

Mian Maqsood Ahmad, a spokesperson from Pakistan’s conservative Jamaat-i-Islami party, voiced his protest a few days ago, stating that “Pakistan has become the only country where biometric verification (of pilgrims) was required,” and urging the government to take the matter up with the Saudis.

As a Muslim country, Pakistan has a vast number of people, including in its remote hinterlands, who’d have to travel for and spend money on getting themselves verified. The logistical problems this would create has also led travel agents all over the country to join in the protests against the new visa law and to ask the government to intervene in the matter.

“If biometric verification is extremely important, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) should step up to help the Saudi Authorities,” the application added.

http://indianexpress.com/article/wo...lgrims-biometric-verification-to-indian-firm/

 

[DjSnake]

very poor choice by saudi, severe lapse in judgement.

 

[punit]

WOW ! Dubai-based company, with an Indian national as one of its directors.

 

[H!TchHiker]

It should be refused as a security concern when all other nations has done so "Iran, India, Egypt and Bangladesh have already refused biometric verification of their pilgrims."Though with kind of leadership we have nothing better to expect

 

[MBT 3000]

Pakistan must take action but With Our current government we got to hope

 

[hussain0216]

This needs to be raised with Saudi right away, indian involvement is a security risk

 

[Salar Shah]

Well I have read somewhere that the same firm carries out the biometric verification of all Pakistani nationals for all the hundreds of thousands of visit, business, residency and student visas issued each year of all GCC countries.
If this is the case then this is a complete non-issue and the application should be returned back to the petitioner by the SC right away as not entertainable.
However if this is not true and issue is only of Haj/Umrah visa then Pakistan should use it's good diplomatic, political and military offices to persuade Saudi authorities to either change the firm or Pakistan should offer the services of NADRA to get this done.

 

[American Pakistani]

Pakistan should reject this and strongly protest to Saudi authorities.

 

[Spy Master]

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday received an application requesting it to intervene and order the Pakistan government to voice its concern against Saudi Arabia contracting out biometric verification of Haj and Umrah pilgrims to an “Indian firm”, the Dawn reported.

Under a week-old modification in Saudi’s Hajj and Umrah laws to make biometric verification mandatory for pilgrims, Hajj visitors from Pakistan would have to undergo the additional procedure in order to submit their applications for the relevant Umrah visa. One of the firms known to be given the contract of collection of fingerprint data from the Pakistani pilgrims, according to the Express Tribune, is a Dubai-based company, with an Indian national as one of its directors.

Dawn reported that the application submitted by one Nadeem A. Shaikh stated that “Pakistani citizens’ data in the hands of an Indian company is a matter of national security”. It also mentioned that Iran, India, Egypt and Bangladesh have already refused biometric verification of their pilgrims.

Mian Maqsood Ahmad, a spokesperson from Pakistan’s conservative Jamaat-i-Islami party, voiced his protest a few days ago, stating that “Pakistan has become the only country where biometric verification (of pilgrims) was required,” and urging the government to take the matter up with the Saudis.

As a Muslim country, Pakistan has a vast number of people, including in its remote hinterlands, who’d have to travel for and spend money on getting themselves verified. The logistical problems this would create has also led travel agents all over the country to join in the protests against the new visa law and to ask the government to intervene in the matter.

“If biometric verification is extremely important, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) should step up to help the Saudi Authorities,” the application added.

http://indianexpress.com/article/wo...lgrims-biometric-verification-to-indian-firm/

is it Indian firm or firm with an Indian national as one of its directors??

 

[Thevarr]

Ohhhhh snap. .....Talk about intelligence gathering in the open....

.....i wonder how it can be used....

well they can pretty much do an unofficial census...if the data is stored in indian servers or if its cloud based....everyone other than pakistan can access it .....

*ID any terrorist who had ever gone for haj.

*use personal data to manipulate to create more resources for RAW inside pakistan

It should be refused as a security concern when all other nations has done so "Iran, India, Egypt and Bangladesh have already refused biometric verification of their pilgrims."Though with kind of leadership we have nothing better to expect

nothing to do with your leadership......Pakistan has no say or independence to do so.

imagine borrowing 1000 rs from yer friend and being forced to laugh at his corny jokes till you repay it. LOLZ

is it Indian firm or firm with an Indian national as one of its directors??

spymaster ?

 

[H!TchHiker]

Ohhhhh snap. .....Talk about intelligence gathering in the open....

.....i wonder how it can be used....

well they can pretty much do an unofficial census...if the data is stored in indian servers or if its cloud based....everyone other than pakistan can access it .....

*ID any terrorist who had ever gone for haj.

*use personal data to manipulate to create more resources for RAW inside pakistan



nothing to do with your leadership......Pakistan has no say or independence to do so.

imagine borrowing 1000 rs from yer friend and being forced to laugh at his corny jokes till you repay it. LOLZ




spymaster ?

Out of your bias being an Indian there is nothing like this..Its a matter of leadership and guts nothing else...Leader like Nawaz can't take stand

Well I have read somewhere that the same firm carries out the biometric verification of all Pakistani nationals for all the hundreds of thousands of visit, business, residency and student visas issued each year of all GCC countries.
If this is the case then this is a complete non-issue and the application should be returned back to the petitioner by the SC right away as not entertainable.
However if this is not true and issue is only of Haj/Umrah visa then Pakistan should use it's good diplomatic, political and military offices to persuade Saudi authorities to either change the firm or Pakistan should offer the services of NADRA to get this done.

Pakistan should reject it as all other countries have done so..on the basis of security..Millions go for Hajj and Umrah..No such data can be handed over to any third country

 

[El Sidd]

This project reeks of corruption.

 

[wiseone2]

Out of your bias being an Indian there is nothing like this..Its a matter of leadership and guts nothing else...Leader like Nawaz can't take stand


Pakistan should reject it as all other countries have done so..on the basis of security..Millions go for Hajj and Umrah..No such data can be handed over to any third country

when you apply for an foreign visa some of your biometric data goes to the foreign government

 

[Sully3]

Foreign office sleeping again as usual.... or may i say the whole cabinet is busy saving Nawaz so haven't got time to deal with matters of national security.

GHQ will have to step in again and save the day again @Horus