NADRA: ‘Religion mistake being investigated’

Authority also investigating why MPA’s earlier request was not entertained.

LAHORE:

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has started an investigation into how MPA Rana Asif Mahmood came to be identified as a Christian in its records and will meet the MPA to discuss the matter today (Tuesday).

Mahmood was recently issued a court notice on a petition stating that he was a Muslim, as stated in NADRA records, but had been elected to a seat reserved for minorities. The MPA said NADRA had mistakenly put his religion down as Islam because of his Muslim-sounding name.

Mahmood told The Express Tribune that NADRA officials had approached him on Monday. “They said that the issue would be sorted out and mistakes rectified. I have been asked to visit the NADRA office on Tuesday to discuss the details of the case,” he said.

Muntazim Zaidi, the public relations officer at NADRA headquarters, said that an investigation had begun into the issue and strict action would be taken if it was found that a mistake had been made by a NADRA official.

A source in NADRA, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the investigation would seek to determine the part of the data entry process in which the mistake had been made. He said it was also being investigated why the MPA’s request for his religion to be corrected had not been entertained previously.

Mahmood said he was hopeful of the matter finally being resolved. “This is the first time such issues are being practically addressed,” he said, adding that there were many cases of people being wrongly identified as belonging to a religion because of their name.

NADRA officials and Mahmood had previously said the authority had a policy not to allow changes to the religious identification of a citizen in its records if that religion was put down as Islam.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2012.