Residents complain about numerous errors in documents

Users of the Tajik segment of social networks are complaining about gross errors in personal documents, including passports. The official authorities of Tajikistan have not yet commented on the public complaints.

In particular, user Muhammadali Yusuf writes on his Facebook page:

“All residents who changed their surnames ending in ‘-ev’ and ‘-ov’ to their father’s name, that is, changed it to their own name and their father’s name, are having their father’s name written instead of the passport holder’s name at the passport office, and instead of the father’s name, the citizen’s own name is written, which provokes a lot of problems in the future.”

Many users under this post criticized the negligence of officials, especially employees of the Passport Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan, and mentioned gross errors, including writing the citizen’s name instead of the father’s name and spelling mistakes when transliterating Tajik names into English. According to users, these errors in passports have caused them many problems outside of Tajikistan.

Some users are wondering why no state agency in the country, including the Committee on Language and Terminology or other institutions, pays attention to these errors related to personal data and the identity of Tajik citizens.

The majority of users considered this issue “relevant” and emphasized that the authorities should rectify the situation, and educated personnel who are proficient in the Tajik language and familiar with Tajik culture should be appointed to these positions.

“This problem has existed in the Ayni district for several years. Instead of the father’s name, they write the daughter’s name. Later, to correct it, they require a million documents and several thousand somoni. Moreover, they make you run around for almost a whole year,” writes user Zebuniso Odil.

Another user claims that employees of the passport service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs do not possess sufficient literacy, first writing names in Russian letters and then transliterating them into English letters, resulting in gross errors. Residents call these actions “a form of business for officials.”

One user even claims that this error by the country’s passport service caused him serious troubles, resulting in a nervous breakdown and intestinal ulcer.

“I graduated from university under the name Umarbek Faridun, while my birth certificate states ‘Fariduni Umarbek’, and at the passport service of the Ayni district, due to illiteracy, they wrote my name and the names of several of my classmates this way. At that time, I was forced to change my name and add my father’s surname and name. But my university diploma and several other documents still remain with the name and surname created by the passport service of the Ayni district,” writes user Faridun Rahmonzoda.

User Rajabgul Yatimova writes that she was not allowed on the plane because her name and her father’s name were swapped in her passport.

“We were unable to leave, lost money, and also received a new passport for a large sum. They should be ashamed of what they are doing on purpose,” she writes.