NADRA hiring case: Non-bailable warrants out for two former parliamentarians

FIR says former MNA from Bajaur Agency falsely attested an Afghan national’s domicile certificate

ISLAMABAD: A district court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for two former lawmakers from Bajaur Agency for their alleged involvement in the induction of an Afghan national in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Senior Civil Judge Abdul Ghafoor Kakar issued arrest warrants for former Senator Abdur Rasheed and former MNA Haroonur Rasheed and six others, on an application of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Meanwhile, the court sent NADRA deputy director Khwaja Muhammad Alauddin to jail on judicial remand after the expiry of his physical remand.

The court issued warrants for the two former parliamentarians, three tribal chiefs — Mian Sahibur Rehman, Syed Haji Jahanzeb and Molvi Khurshid Ahmad and three others — Muhammad Nawab, Jaffar Khan and Muhammad Razzaq — for their alleged involvement in hiring of the Afghan national in Nadra.

According to the FIR, Roohullah was illegally inducted into NADRA’s swift registration centre in Bajaur Agency as a data entry operator (DEO) in November 2006. He also served as DEO from 2007 to 2012.

In 2003, he obtained a domicile certificate by misrepresentation and concealment of facts and also managed to get a computerised national identity card for himself and his family members.

The record of the Afghan refugees commissionerate at Peshawar revealed that Roohullah’s father, Nawab, along with his two brothers, Jaffar and Raziq, had migrated from Afghanistan to Bajaur Agency in 1980.

The three tribal chiefs falsely attested the Pakistani domicile certificate of Roohullah.

The FIR further added that former Senator Abdul Rashid recommended the accused for employment and  NADRA inducted him without verifying his nationality. The FIR further said that Roohullah worked in NADRA without any appointment letter till January 8, 2007.

Subsequently, the special investigation unit of FIA registered a case against the suspects under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 5(2)47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, section 14 of the Foreigners Act and section 30(2) of the NADRA Act.

Earlier, it had emerged that some top officers of the NADRA helped terrorists and other miscreants in obtaining fake national identity cards. Country’s premier intelligence agency had listed 40 officials involved in the issuance of fake national identity cards.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.