Outdated systems

There is no proper procedure in place for the verification of academic qualifications

At least three police officials were among eight persons arrested by the Sindh Rangers over the weekend as a gang that produced fake licences and degrees was busted on the basis of a tip-off. According to details given by the Rangers, the gang had been operating for the past decade during which they had managed to produce and sell thousands of fake arms licences, fake degrees as well as fake driving licences to a wide variety of customers. The gang also used forged documentation to bring arms and ammunition from the tribal areas to Karachi and sold this as well for profits worth millions of rupees. The group had also forged government documents and sold these as well. Such documents included No Objection Certificates issued by deputy commissioners for a wide variety of activities. Ironically, the gang also had fake seals and letters of government agencies and departments, including the Rangers task force.

What is even more worrisome is the fact that the gang included senior-level police officials as well as officials of the Special Branch. Ironically, one of the tasks of the Special Branch is to keep an eye on the activities of other police departments.

This incident once again illustrates how outdated our system is for licensing of firearms as well as driving licences. There is also no proper procedure in place for the verification of academic qualifications. All these issues need to be addressed on a priority basis. In the past, our state-of-the-art data registration authority, NADRA, has been mentioned as a possible platform for both arms permits and driving licences. But opposition to this has come from our bureaucracy that does not want to give away this power through which it makes a lot of money. It is time we worked in the national interest and started a national registry for both driving licenses as well as arms permits and academic qualifications. On the touch of a button, the authenticity of a document may be verified. This challenge can only be taken up by NADRA and we should not delay giving it to this organisation at the earliest. It is time for us to think only of Pakistan, not of the pockets of various individuals.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2017.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.