KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency has found enough evidence to pursue cases against certain officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) who were allegedly involved in issuing computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to aliens and foreign nationals, including Indian citizens, a senior official said on Monday.

The deputy director of the FIA anti-human trafficking circle, Ashfaq Alam, told a press conference that the agency had been investigating the issue for more than four years.

“But unfortunately Nadra-Karachi has not been responding to our queries for unknown reasons. The details provided by Nadra are still incomplete, but we have got enough evidence to prosecute corrupt Nadra officials, aliens and others.”

The inquiry, he said, was initiated in September 2010 on the directives of the interior ministry to look into a complaint regarding issuance of CNICs to aliens and some foreigners.

Over 5,000 CNICs fraudulently issued to foreigners

During the course of investigation, 1,106 duplicate entries were found in Nadra’s database wherein aliens had also been issued multiple alien registration cards (ARCs), he added.

Also read: Nadra blocks 40,000 CNICs of suspected foreigners in Quetta

“We further discovered 5,062 cases where the CNICs were issued to aliens, most of whom hailed from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Burma [Myanmar],” said the FIA deputy director. “Interestingly, 10 Indian nationals were also issued CNICs over the same period while we also found 599 confirmed cases in which aliens are enjoying Pakistani passports.”

He called the Nadra task highly sensitive and observed that it could not be handled in a way which compromised national security.

Apart from the alleged malpractices at Nadra, he also highlighted the role of the special branch of the police, officials at the passport office and staff working at the level of union council who facilitated illegal immigrants and foreign nationals for the issuance of CNICs, etc.

“So far four cases under the Foreigners Act and Prevention of Corruption Act have been registered at the FIA anti-human trafficking circle, Karachi against the aliens and Nadra officials concerned,” said Mr Alam. “Three other cases have also been registered under the Foreigners Act against some Bangladeshis who registered with the National Alien Registration Authority (Nara) and obtained the CNIC by fraudulent means on the basis of forged documents. Seven Bangladeshis have been arrested and efforts are being made for further arrest.”

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

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