Govt arrests officials involved in issuing Pakistani passport to Mansour

Balochistan Levies, NADRA officials arrested from Quetta and Karachi for issuing Pakistani passport to Mansour

Two officials involved in issuing Pakistani passports to late Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and his family have been arrested.

The Interior Ministry said a Balochistan Levies official was arrested from Quetta for verifying Mullah Akhtar Mansour's identity card.

"The Federal Investigation Agency's branch in Quetta carried out an intelligence-based raid and arrested a Balochistan Levies personnel who verified Muhammad Wali's CNIC form in 2001," an Interior Ministry spokesperson said. The accused has been identified as Risaldar Major Aziz Ahmed.



Separately, a NADRA employee was arrested from Karachi for facilitating the process of Pakistani citizenship for Mullah Mansour's second wife and his children. "Riffat Iqbal was arrested from Karachi for pursuing Pakistani citizenship for Mullah Mansour's family," the spokesperson added.

Mansour was killed in Balochistan in a US drone strike on May 21. A Pakistani CNIC and passport found at the site identified the victim as Muhammad Wali, a resident of Karachi.

While Mullah Mansoor may have used a fake name to obtain a Pakistani identity card, his credentials with the authorities are all genuine, verifiable on specific helpline numbers.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), which issues computerised identities to Pakistani citizens, also facilitates verifying the basic credentials via short messaging services (SMS).

When forwarded Wali’s identity card number 54400-0563462-9 at 7000 – a service to verify the CNIC holder’s name, the reply is: Muhammad Wali, son of Shah Muhammad.

The voter registration details of any CNIC number can be obtained through a text message to 8300. Wali’s number shows he was a registered voter with the serial number 38, block code 454050104, ward number 31 in Chaman Municipal Corporation union council of Killa Abdullah district.

While getting an identity card is a struggle for many Pakistani citizens, especially those living in districts other than their permanent address, the fact that Mullah Mansoor was able to get a Pakistani CNIC as well as a passport raises quite a few questions.