Zainab's murderer holds two national identity numbers

Error prevents accused from opening account in any commercial bank

ISLAMABAD: As state institutions delved down deeper into claims made by an anchorperson, alleging that Zainab’s murderer owned 37 local and foreign currency accounts, it was revealed that accused Imran Ali was holder of two different national identity numbers.

This basic technical flaw in the national document of the accused endorses the fact that he was unable to open account in any commercial bank in the country, let alone the foreign currency account(s).

Under the defined law, before opening a bank account basic details of an applicant is checked by the bank management, using Nadra Verisys – an easy-to-use access tool for verification of a citizen in a bid to avoid any fraudulent activity.

Through the Nadra Verisys, banks, cellular companies and others are usually given nominal access to personal details of an individual for verification purpose.

Under defined SOP, banks decline account opening request of an individual having two national identity numbers at the time of opening the account and this fact is easily verifiable through the Nadra Verisys available with banks.



The Nadra’s record suggests that prior to issuing a computerised national identity card (CNIC), accused Imran had obtained a child registration certificate from Nadra, bearing the number: 35102-7566063-5.

The CRC is a document used to register minors under the age of 18 years. Commonly, it’s known as form-B.

However, when a child -- registered as minor -- attains the age of 18 years he, under the law, is supposed to surrender CRC.

After cancelling the child registration certificate, the applicant is allotted the national identity card bearing the same identity number allotted to him/her through the CRC.

In short, the identity number on the CRC of a child is the future CNIC number of him.

In case of Imran Ali he did not inform Nadra authorities that he is holder of the CRC. And for that reason he was issued an identity card, bearing the fresh identity number: 35102-7459834-7.

Now, in Nadra record he is the holder of two identity numbers and it is out of question that he may succeed in opening a bank account.

A senior Nadra official said, “It’s a common mistake, as parents usually register their child with Nadra but at the time they approach Nadra for the issuance of a CNIC when their child attains the age of 18 years, they do not produce the CRC for verity of reasons.”



But, the mistake is rectified when holder of the CNIC face difficulties in opening bank account(s), applying for a passport, or get other services and then such different identity number-holder approaches Nadra for cancellation of the CRC.

“It’s not a crime [as per Nadra laws] but an irregularity on behalf of the applicant,” an official said.

“Nadra has now marked the CRC of Imran Ali as liable to be impounded,” he added.

When asked if Nadra does not have any mechanism to find out if an applicant of the CNIC was also a holder of the CRC, the officer said, “Nadra usually process the application for CNIC but such identity cards are later marked as duplicate.”

Another Nadra official wishing not to be named said, “It’s not a mistake, [and] pretty much common in database authority. In Nadra, either it’s considered as an act of commission or an act of omission.”

He said in Nadra there is an in-place three-tier verification process of an application.

“[The] CRC does not contain a holder’s bio metric (finger prints) or picture, but it can easily be traced through the family tree of the father’s CNIC of the applicant.

“And Nadra staff usually does it,” he said, adding, sometimes due to workload data entry operator commit such mistakes but there were examples where such fact was ignored for monetary gain.

He said Nadra should investigate that how Imran Ali was allotted a fresh identity number contrary to the fact that he was a holder of the CRC.