Fake CNIC case: Fresh notices issued to Nisar, others

NADRA challenges allegations of facilitating fraud.

ISLAMABAD:

A judge on Wednesday issued notices to leader of the opposition and others afresh in a damage suit.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Riaz Khan, issued fresh notices to opposition leader  Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa and the Civil Lines SHO Inspector Raja Shakeel on a suit filed by NADRA seeking Rs10 billion in damages. The respondents had not replied to the court’s earlier notices.

The plaintiff contended that Chaudhry Nisar had seriously damaged NADRA’s reputation by making “false allegations”. NADRA maintains that last February, at Bahria Town’s request, the authority had sent three mobile registration vehicles (MRV) to the area for the registration of their employees in Rawalpindi.

In March, Khan served a notice on the authority alleging that the MRVs issued fake identity cards at the behest of “certain elements”, hinting at Bahria Town chief Malik Riaz.

NADRA counsel said the allegation has affected several of NADRA’s international agreements, causing it losses of millions of dollars  The housing scheme lies within NA-52, Rawalpindi, which is considered a PML-N stronghold.

The alleged scam involved listing the temporary addresses of migrant workers as their permanent addresses, making them eligible to vote in NA-52.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2012.