PAC concerned over NADRA data leak

Interior secy reveals arms licences obtained through fake letters in the names of MNAs

ISLAMABAD:

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman, Noor Alam Khan, expressed grave concern over the recent National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) data leak, describing it as a compromise on the integrity of the country. The committee convened under Khan's chairmanship to be briefed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials on the matter.

During the meeting, Chairman Khan highlighted that the leaked Nadra records of every Pakistani citizen being sold was a severe breach of trust and a threat to the nation's security. FIA officials faced resistance from Nadra officials while investigating the data leak, as one Nadra officer approached the high court during the inquiry.

Chairman Khan demanded that the FIA officials show the judge, who had halted the inquiry, the leaked data concerning his own family. He also urged the chief justice to permit a thorough inquiry into this sensitive matter, emphasizing the importance of preserving the country's integrity.

Also read: PAC orders probe into NADRA data leak

Drawing attention to Pakistan's judiciary ranking, which stands at 128th in the world, Khan stressed the urgency of conducting a fact-finding inquiry into the data leak in Nadra and the corruption in the National Testing Service (NTL).

Following the discussions, the PAC ordered a fact-finding inquiry into both cases, aiming to uncover the extent and impact of the data leak and NTL corruption.

In the course of the meeting, the interior secretary revealed another alarming discovery - arms licenses were obtained through fake letters in the names of Members of the National Assembly (MNAs). As a result, four individuals were arrested in connection with this fraudulent activity, which also caused delays in processing legitimate licenses for lawmakers.