NADRA probing 250,000 cases of fake CNICs

Authorities in Balochistan are currently investigating 250,000 cases of illegal aliens obtaining computerized national identity cards (CNICs) in the province, Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai said on Monday.

Addressing a news conference at the Quetta Press Club, Achakzai called the issuance of the identity cards to aliens as “nationality theft”. NADRA [National Database and Registration Authority] is investigating all these nationality theft cases in the province, he told reporters.

“I will also ask NADRA officials to brief the press in this regard,” the caretaker minister said. “There is no discrimination against any specific ethnic group, rather this investigation is against all those involved in identity theft,” he reiterated.

The minister’s news conference came after some nationalist parties expressed reservations about the issuance of the CNICs to Afghan nationals. Sources in NADRA told The Express Tribune that an investigation had been launched into the issuance of national identity cards to foreigners.

Achakzai said that so far over 400,000 Afghan illegal immigrants had left Pakistan. “Credit goes to the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, and the Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir for this initiative,” the minister added.

“For the first time in the last 40 years, such a massive crackdown has been launched against illegal immigrants,” he said, adding that over 1.7 million illegal immigrants were residing in Pakistan. He appreciated the law-enforcement personnel for deporting such a big number of illegal aliens.

“The law-enforcement agencies deserve appreciation for sending back such a large number of illegal immigrants in a very short period of time. This crackdown against the illegal immigrants is across the board, no specific ethnic group has been targeted,” he stressed.

Achakzai said that the Afghan government should hand over terrorists from Pakistan to the government. Pakistan, he added, had time and again raised this issue with the Taliban government. “Terrorists like Hafiz Gul Bahadur should be handed over to Pakistan by the Afghan government,” he demanded.

Responding to a question, the caretaker information minister said that the current Afghan government had the mandate to frame its policies but at the same time it should also take steps for its recognition internationally.