Committee for restoration of Religion column in Pakistan's MR Passport
By Rizwan Malik - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: A Ministerial Committee of the Federal Cabinet has recommended restoration of religion column in the Machine Readable Passport, its Chairman announced on Tuesday.

Senior Minister and Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal, who headed the committee, told a news conference that the report of the committee has been handed over to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

He said the report would be taken up at the forthcoming meeting of the Federal Cabinet on Thursday.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who was a member of the committee, was present at the Press conference. Minister of State for Defence Zahid Hamid also attended the media briefing.

Rao Sikandar Iqbal said the committee, which was constituted on January-5 to review the matter and submit its recommendations, had held three meetings to complete its task.

The committee has recommended that “religion column at some suitable place in the new machine readable passport be placed.”

It has further recommended that the words “Islamic Republic of Pakistan” may also be inscribed on the face of the new passport, Rao Sikandar Iqbal said.

The Issued Passports

Answering a question, he said that in case of those passports which had already been issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the holders of the passports, if they so desire, can get their passports stamped for the identification of religion.

Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that NADRA had been given instructions to make arrangements in this behalf.

Rao Sikandar Iqbal said that the Prime Minister has appreciated and acknowledged the work of the committee that fully took into account the popular demand while making its recommendations.●