Fake identity holders: Action against aliens from September 1
Nisar says CNICs re-verification process under way
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday August 1, 2016. SCREEN GRAB
ISLAMABAD:
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has announced that after August 31, cases will be lodged against aliens and they will be awarded up to 14-year of imprisonment if they do not surrender their fake nationality.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Nisar said four persons had surrendered their Pakistani nationality obtained via fraudulent means. “I can claim today that not a single official passport is given to a person who was not qualified for it during three years and a quarter of the present regime,” he said.
The top security czar said during the re-verification process of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) which was kicked off nationwide in July by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), a total 22.4 million CNICs had come under focus
“During the first month of the exercise of re-verification, 1/5th of the population has already been covered. During this period NADRA received 2.6 million SMS from the general public while the authority itself delivered 1.8 SMS in response to public queries,” he said.
Nisar said during the first 15 days of the re-verification drive, NADRA had not received data of SIMs from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). “Once they got necessary data the exercise gained momentum,” he said, adding that there are a total of 105 million CNICs in the data of NADRA.
“Moreover, the people of Pakistan made 37,000 calls to the helpline specifically set up for the re-verification. So far during this exercise 20,000 to 23,000 intruders (non-family members) have been identified after people pointed out those who were not part of their family-tree,” he said.
The minister said a number of NADRA officials working abroad had been changed.
The interior minister claimed that there was a time when anyone could be deported to Pakistan and the deported individuals used to start living in Pakistan. “Now I can tell with certainty that no one can be deported to Pakistan without the consent of the Ministry of Interior,” he added.
According to Nisar, during the past eight months foreign airlines, which violated the rules and regulations regarding carrying deportees to Pakistan, were slapped with fines. “They were imposed fine to the tune of Rs39.50 million out of which Rs21 million have already been deposited to the exchequer,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has announced that after August 31, cases will be lodged against aliens and they will be awarded up to 14-year of imprisonment if they do not surrender their fake nationality.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Nisar said four persons had surrendered their Pakistani nationality obtained via fraudulent means. “I can claim today that not a single official passport is given to a person who was not qualified for it during three years and a quarter of the present regime,” he said.
The top security czar said during the re-verification process of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) which was kicked off nationwide in July by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), a total 22.4 million CNICs had come under focus
“During the first month of the exercise of re-verification, 1/5th of the population has already been covered. During this period NADRA received 2.6 million SMS from the general public while the authority itself delivered 1.8 SMS in response to public queries,” he said.
Nisar said during the first 15 days of the re-verification drive, NADRA had not received data of SIMs from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). “Once they got necessary data the exercise gained momentum,” he said, adding that there are a total of 105 million CNICs in the data of NADRA.
“Moreover, the people of Pakistan made 37,000 calls to the helpline specifically set up for the re-verification. So far during this exercise 20,000 to 23,000 intruders (non-family members) have been identified after people pointed out those who were not part of their family-tree,” he said.
The minister said a number of NADRA officials working abroad had been changed.
The interior minister claimed that there was a time when anyone could be deported to Pakistan and the deported individuals used to start living in Pakistan. “Now I can tell with certainty that no one can be deported to Pakistan without the consent of the Ministry of Interior,” he added.
According to Nisar, during the past eight months foreign airlines, which violated the rules and regulations regarding carrying deportees to Pakistan, were slapped with fines. “They were imposed fine to the tune of Rs39.50 million out of which Rs21 million have already been deposited to the exchequer,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.