Papers in order: CNIC, passport to be issued to Altaf
NADRA officials will visit party leader in London.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain. PHOTO: MQM
ISLAMABAD:
The interior ministry on Thursday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics that a process is under way to issue a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.
Briefing the committee, additional secretary interior Imtiaz Tajwar, who also holds charge as chairman NADRA, told the committee that the process is under way to issue documents to the MQM chief and a team will visit the party leader’s residence in London to record the required information.
MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi voiced concern during previous meetings of the committee, and said on Thursday, “We were informed by the ministry that its team in the UK is taking appropriate steps to issue a CNIC and passport to the party chief and will visit his residence. We appreciate this step of the government and hopefully the process will soon be completed.” Other senators also welcomed the interior ministry’s decision.
Afghan refugees
Earlier, the committee discussed the issuance of bogus CNICs to Afghan refugees. Committee chairman Senator Talha Mehmood said that many Afghan officers, who are working in Afghanistan in the judiciary, military and intelligence agencies have Pakistani identity cards. He alleged that some NADRA officials and others are involved in a system of issuing fake identity cards to these Afghan nationals.
NADRA officials, however, said that there are only two persons who have received CNICs on the basis of forged documents and these identity cards have subsequently been cancelled. He said the other applicants were issued proof of refugee (PoR) cards under a trilateral agreement signed between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UNHCR. Officials also confirmed that there are 82 such cases underway. NADRA held personnel in the ministry of frontiers and state equally responsible for failing to inform the authorities of the fake identity cards so that those refugees who have departed Pakistan are removed from the system. The committee summoned officials from SAFRON and UNHCR in the next meeting to discuss the issue.
Director General Passports and Immigration informed the committee that the authorities are finalizing the modalities for the issuance of official passports.
Islamabad Safe City project
Tajwar told the committee that the Islamabad Safe City project has commenced since April and will be completed in April 2015.
The project was initiated in 2009 with an estimated cost of $124.9 million. However, he said, it will be completed at the same cost without any variation and with some additional facilities – there will now be 1944 CCTV cameras installed in the city as opposed to the original number of 1500 CCTV cameras and the capacity of the Command and Control building will also be expanded from 2000sqr km to 2800sqr.
The project will be executed by a Chinese firm and China Exim Bank has already provided $68 million in 2009 and under the agreement, Pakistan had no option but to give the contract to the same company.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2014.
The interior ministry on Thursday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics that a process is under way to issue a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.
Briefing the committee, additional secretary interior Imtiaz Tajwar, who also holds charge as chairman NADRA, told the committee that the process is under way to issue documents to the MQM chief and a team will visit the party leader’s residence in London to record the required information.
MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi voiced concern during previous meetings of the committee, and said on Thursday, “We were informed by the ministry that its team in the UK is taking appropriate steps to issue a CNIC and passport to the party chief and will visit his residence. We appreciate this step of the government and hopefully the process will soon be completed.” Other senators also welcomed the interior ministry’s decision.
Afghan refugees
Earlier, the committee discussed the issuance of bogus CNICs to Afghan refugees. Committee chairman Senator Talha Mehmood said that many Afghan officers, who are working in Afghanistan in the judiciary, military and intelligence agencies have Pakistani identity cards. He alleged that some NADRA officials and others are involved in a system of issuing fake identity cards to these Afghan nationals.
NADRA officials, however, said that there are only two persons who have received CNICs on the basis of forged documents and these identity cards have subsequently been cancelled. He said the other applicants were issued proof of refugee (PoR) cards under a trilateral agreement signed between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UNHCR. Officials also confirmed that there are 82 such cases underway. NADRA held personnel in the ministry of frontiers and state equally responsible for failing to inform the authorities of the fake identity cards so that those refugees who have departed Pakistan are removed from the system. The committee summoned officials from SAFRON and UNHCR in the next meeting to discuss the issue.
Director General Passports and Immigration informed the committee that the authorities are finalizing the modalities for the issuance of official passports.
Islamabad Safe City project
Tajwar told the committee that the Islamabad Safe City project has commenced since April and will be completed in April 2015.
The project was initiated in 2009 with an estimated cost of $124.9 million. However, he said, it will be completed at the same cost without any variation and with some additional facilities – there will now be 1944 CCTV cameras installed in the city as opposed to the original number of 1500 CCTV cameras and the capacity of the Command and Control building will also be expanded from 2000sqr km to 2800sqr.
The project will be executed by a Chinese firm and China Exim Bank has already provided $68 million in 2009 and under the agreement, Pakistan had no option but to give the contract to the same company.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2014.