Ex-NADRA chairman acquitted in dual nationality case

Tariq Malik was accused of hiding nationality and civil service

ISLAMABAD: After over five years of proceedings, the Islamabad’s local court acquitted former National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Tariq Malik in dual nationality concealing case and ordered to dispose of it.

In her written order, model court judge Shaista Khan Kundi directed to expunge the FIR filed against Malik on May 15, 2014. The case was allegedly filed by the then Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.

“A case was registered against former Nadra chairman Tariq Malik under Section 1(a) and (c) of the 6 Passport Act 1974, in which Malik was charged with concealing dual nationality and civil service,” states the two-page judgment of the trial court.

In his statement before the FIA on July 11 this year, Malik stated, “he did not conceal his dual citizenship as he had mentioned about his National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (Nicop) — given to dual nationality holders — in the declaration form submitted on April 16, 2010 for obtaining a machine-readable passport (MRP)”.

He claimed that not only Nicop was evidence of his intention of not concealing his foreign nationality but the address of the other country was clearly mentioned in it.

The order further says the court had sought details from Nadra about Nicop given to the people earlier and the one provided to Malik.

In reply before the court, “Nadra confirmed Malik’s Nicop and further clarified that the card is issued to dual nationality holders.”

Regarding the allegation of hiding civil service, the order states: “Malik presented a copy of the manual passport dated March 16, 2002, to the court, citing that he is a government servant.”

While applying for the MRP, it further says “he had attached all the relevant documents and Nicop along with the old passport. The then data entry operator Wazir Satti also took the same stance before the court and supports the position taken by Malik”.

As a lawyer, Qausain Mufti was presenting the defendant in the case.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Malik said: “Although the decision came in my favor the process of achieving justice in Pakistan is itself a punishment. People who made false and fabricated accusations against me, will they be punished?” Malik is currently serving in the UN Development Programme as a chief technical adviser.

“In my opinion, the case should have been concluded when the Islamabad’s local court had announced the verdict in my favour on my pre-arrest bail plea,” added Malik.

On February 1, district and session judge Sohail Nasir stated that he was unable to understand what kind of allegation was leveled against Malik.

In his judgment, he expressed astonishment that why the case was still being investigated while the letter dated November 19, 2018, of the director-general of passport made it clear that there was apparently no crime of Malik related to the passport.

“It appears to be a case of targeting the petitioner for which material was collected and presented before the court. Apparently when the petitioner disobeyed the government orders urgent action was taken in one day,” the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated in its order on December 13, 2013.

According to Malik, he resigned from the post of Nadra chairman in January 2014 after receiving threats. At that moment, ex-chairman was helping a high-level court and election tribunal formed to investigate alleged rigging in 2013 elections.

Malik had arrived in Pakistan after securing protective bail from the IHC in December 2018 after four years of self-imposed exile. Earlier in February, the IHC ordered to remove Malik’s name from Exit Control List after the government had put his name.