In solidarity : NADRA staff goes back to work today after day’s strike

Not a single CNIC was processed on Friday.

KARACHI:

Not a single of the usual 5,000 ID cards were issued or processed at the 104 offices of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) across Sindh on Friday as staff went on strike. They said they would go back to work today, however.

The workers were showing solidarity with nine colleagues who they said were beaten by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officers after the details of Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik were leaked on January 25. The leak prompted a sweeping crackdown as a result of which its origin, the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), reportedly lost the right to access NADRA’s database.

The leaked information was later used to acquire a cellular SIM card. The CPLC’s Khalid Noor has been arrested over leaking the information and the FIA is looking for the man who activated the SIM using Rehman Malik’s details.

The apprehended NADRA staffers include deputy manager Nabi Buksh Mangi, assistant managers Naveed Billoo, acting deputy manager Sajjad and six data-entry operators, Falak Sher, Ateequr Rehman, Shaban, Faisal Ameer, Khalid and Mohammad Ali. Two of them Mangi and Sajjad were later released while the remaining seven were reportedly beaten and kept in detention for at least 24 hours.

The NADRA staffers have accused six FIA personnel for beating them: Habibur Rehman, Sheheryar, Siraj, Amjad Ali Abbasi, Rauf and Khaskheli. “The FIA did all of this to appease the federal government even though they knew that the CPLC was responsible,” alleges NADRA data-entry operator Faisal Ameer, who was picked up. “If there is justice in this country then they will be put through the pain that we and our families went through.”

For now NADRA staff has called off the strike and will go back to work today, Saturday, after successful negotiations with the NADRA chairman. “Rehman Malik sahib has asked our chairman to conduct an inquiry and has assured of legal action against the FIA officials concerned,” said the president of the NADRA employees association, Raza Khan, while talking to The Express Tribune. “The information was leaked from the CPLC and the guy has been caught too so why torture our folks? FIA will not be able to do this again.”

The chairman announced compensation for the employees whose hospital bills will be paid. Assistant manager Naveed Billoo will receive Rs25,000 and each of the data entry operators Rs15,000. Khan said that the chairman has suspended inspector Sheheryar who was on deputation at the FIA from NADRA.

CPLC chief Ahmed Chinoy has neither denied nor accepted that their access to the NADRA database has been cut off. He said he has no knowledge about it, adding that his official, according to the FIA, had admitted to leaking the information to do a journalist, Asif Mehmood, a favour. “We are cooperating with the federal interior ministry and FIA at every level,” he said. “We have given them whatever records they have asked for.”

FIA officials were not available for official comment but one of them said on the condition of anonymity that Rehman Malik’s details were also accessed at the NADRA Lucky Star centre on the same day. The FIA is trying to find out who did it as the system is usually used by six data-entry operators. “We need to find out who used the system at that exact time,” said the FIA official. “And if they don’t cough it up we’ll give them a routine beating.”

Earlier, a score of angry NADRA employees staged a protest near the Awami Markaz office, blocking the busiest artery of Sharae Faisal. They marched towards the NADRA head office near Karsaz road after a small scuffle with the law enforcers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2012.