Two NADRA men held for issuing CNIC to an Afghan

FIA also detains a Hundi/Hawala operator in Kharian

QUETTA: The Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) on Thursday arrested an Assistant Director of NADRA and a Vigilance Officer for issuing a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to an Afghan citizen.

The Afghan citizen and an agent, who acted as a liaison in the incident, are also among those arrested.

National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) Assistant Director Manzoor Bugti and Vigilance Officer Nisar Hazara were arrested for issuing NIC to an Afghan citizen Habibullah allegedly in return for a bribe of half a million rupees.

“The Afghan citizen Habibullah entered Pakistan some months ago and filed fake documents to acquire NIC after bribing the NADRA officials,” FIA officials told media persons.

Habibullah and Izzatullah, the agent who facilitated, were picked up from Alamdar Road when the agent arrived there in hope of bribe for the NIC.

“The arrested Assistant Director, Vigilance Officer and two others were shifted (somewhere else) for further interrogation,” FIA officials added.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA intensified their operations against NADRA and arrested several NADRA officials for issuing NICs to Afghan nationals.

Meanwhile, FIA conducted a raid on Thursday against an illegal Hundi/Hawala operator in Kharian town of Gujrat and recovered Rs450,000.

It also recovered Hundi receipts, photo copies of CNICs and arrested accused, Muhammad Arif, said an interior ministry spokesman.

Moreover, FIA, Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC), Lahore arrested three proclaimed offenders and two agents allegedly involved in human trafficking.

Human smuggler arrested

FIA Gujrat conducted another raid and arrested Safeer Hussain alias Kallo, also allegedly involved in human trafficking. Safeer Hussain is a resident of Jalalpur Jattan in District Gujrat.

He is accused of allegedly attempting to send immigrants to Iran, Turkey and Greece for employment without valid travel documents. An FIR was registered in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2016.