ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate its foreign ministry’s document attestation system, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said this week, after a media report claimed that an internal inquiry uncovered alleged irregularities involving Rs12 billion ($43 million) collected from citizens through unofficial channels for document attestation.

A Geo News report said that a four-member internal inquiry committee had identified an alleged network involving foreign ministry officials who were collecting unauthorized payments from people seeking document attestations. It said the findings were sent to the foreign secretary’s office in July.

The foreign office authenticates documents for Pakistani nationals, such as educational qualifications, birth and marriage certificates, and those involving commercial transactions.

The report said the internal inquiry had found that Rs12 billion [$43 million] was illegally collected from citizens in one year and that the committee had also identified officials allegedly involved in the offense. Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson rejected the report as “unverified and baseless” on Thursday.

“Taking notice of the media report regarding the attestation system for apostilles and documents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the document attestation system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Dar wrote on X on Friday.

He also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister.

Dar said the three-member inquiry committee will be headed by the Petroleum Division Secretary Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, while the secretary of law and special secretary of finance will be the other two members of the committee.

Journalists questioned the foreign office spokesperson on Thursday about technical problems with online and apostille attestation. They also posed questions about agents allegedly operating outside the ministry and charging applicants to expedite the process.

The spokesperson defended the ministry’s attestation system, saying between 17,000 and 18,000 documents were processed every day at the ministry and its four camp offices.

He said the Foreign Office had introduced QR codes and courier services to facilitate applicants, digitized the verification of powers of attorney and integrated its database with Pakistani education boards.

He credited the system for reducing the financial and logistical burden on Pakistanis, particularly the more than 10 million citizens living abroad. However, the spokesperson admitted applicants could still face difficulties because of the volume of requests.

He said the Foreign Office had generated Rs3.4 billion [$12.27 million] through the system over the past two years and that documentation and payments were processed electronically rather than through cash transactions.