Illegal aliens: NADRA blocked 88,000 CNICs in Balochistan

Official says 45,000 CNICs blocked in Quetta alone

QUETTA: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has blocked some 88,000 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) in Balochistan after their holders failed to prove they were citizens of Pakistan, a senior official said on Wednesday.

“NADRA has blocked 88,000 CNICs after their holders failed to furnish the required documents to prove their citizenship,” said an official of NADRA.

Quetta Assistant Commissioner Tariq Mengal, who heads the committee which investigates cases of foreign nationals who have been issued CNICs.

According to Mengal, around 45,000 CNICs had been blocked in Quetta alone over the past year. He said most foreign nationals with CNICs were caught once their cards had expired. Many others were caught during a routine check of their database. “The CNICs of many Afghan refugees were blocked after their family tree was analysed.”

Of late, the National Accountability Bureau arrested NADRA’s two assistant directors for issuing CNICs to illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees. Subsequently, a court awarded both the officials seven-year imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Rs2 million. “They had received a huge amount of money as a bribe,” a NAB official said after investigating the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.