Issuing passports – and allowing people to leave amid a humanitarian crisis the UN has called an 'avalanche of hunger' – is seen as a test of the Taliban's commitment to the international community.

Last month the office was forced to close after equipment used for issuing biometric documents broke down under the pressure of processing thousands of applications a day but demand has built steadily.

The inquiry's report says 53% of the 6,779 passports issued were granted illegally, because of a due diligence vacuum or insufficient background checks.