‘Dual nationality': NADRA workers figure in citizenship for sale scandal
Unscrupulous officials issued over 40,000 CNICs to Afghan refugees
Unscrupulous officials issued over 40,000 CNICs to Afghan refugees. PHOTO: INP
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD:
The country’s top registration authority has allegedly issued more than 40,000 computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to ‘unregistered Afghan refugees’, putting national security at a greater risk.
More than 372 National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials issued tens of thousands of CNICs to foreign nationals, majority of them are unregistered Afghan refugees during the last 10 years, officials assigned to investigate this scam revealed on Thursday.
“We’ve already blocked 22,349 CNICs issued to Afghan citizens since 2005. After expanding the scope of investigation, we have also put 50,110 CNICs on our radar in Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune.
It seems to us that a majority of them could be Afghan citizens, he claimed, adding that Nadra special investigation team was probing 42,006 CNICs in Balochistan where majority of cards were issued to foreigners.
The recent controversy revealed a serious flaw in the existing system of top database registration authority particularly after Nadra issued CNICs to an Afghan woman Sharbat Bibi – National Geographic’s famous ‘Afghan Girl’ – and her two sons earlier this week.
Senior officials of ministry of interior and Nadra informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for the first time revealed that thousands of foreigners were being issued CNICs.
The ISI through a letter on May 28, 2013 forwarded a list of 1,772 Afghans along with their CNICs and 29 suspected Nadra employees who were involved in this illegal business, they added.
New Nadra Chairman Usman Mobin, whose appointment was praised by the Senate Panel, informed the lawmakers that investigation against 372 employees, who facilitated Afghan citizens to get CNICs, is going on.
“Previously we were very lenient. After [emergence of] this issue we are very strict,” he told the members of the panel that more than 52 of 372 senior officers of Nadra were involved in issuing CNICs to Afghan citizens.
The 114 employees who were involved in the scam serving in Quetta regional office, 110 in Sargodha, 71 in Peshawar, 21 in Sukkur and 11 employees were involved in Lahore regional office, Nadra officials informed the committee.
On this point, Senator Shahi Syed of Awami National Party observed that it seems that Pakistan citizenship was on sale as senior officers, who were allegedly being bribed, were facilitating foreigners to get the CNICs.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), other intelligence agencies and ministry of interior are cooperating with Nadra to dig out this scam, additional secretary Fazl Abbas Maken told the committee.
Nadra officials informed the lawmakers that they have registered 29,410 aliens, 70,161 aliens got their cards renewed while 684 foreigners got work permits in last 10 years. These are Afghans, Iraqis, Bangladeshis, Tajiks, Tanzanians, etc, they added.
Nadra chairman also informed the committee that salary of 330 employees was stopped who joined Nadra after the ban on fresh appointment imposed by the government in June 2013. An inquiry is being conducted in this regard, he added.
NADRA official denies sacking
Deputy Assistant Director Nadra K-P Palwasha Afridi has denied being sacked for illegally issuing CNICs to Sharbat Bibi and her sons. Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Afridi said she was not in-charge of the centre when the cards were issued.
“Mohsin Ihsan, a former employee of Nadra who currently works in the income tax department, was in-charge at the time and his signatures are also present on Sharbat Bibi’s form,” she claimed. “No signature can be traced back to me,” she added.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2015.
The country’s top registration authority has allegedly issued more than 40,000 computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to ‘unregistered Afghan refugees’, putting national security at a greater risk.
More than 372 National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials issued tens of thousands of CNICs to foreign nationals, majority of them are unregistered Afghan refugees during the last 10 years, officials assigned to investigate this scam revealed on Thursday.
“We’ve already blocked 22,349 CNICs issued to Afghan citizens since 2005. After expanding the scope of investigation, we have also put 50,110 CNICs on our radar in Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune.
It seems to us that a majority of them could be Afghan citizens, he claimed, adding that Nadra special investigation team was probing 42,006 CNICs in Balochistan where majority of cards were issued to foreigners.
The recent controversy revealed a serious flaw in the existing system of top database registration authority particularly after Nadra issued CNICs to an Afghan woman Sharbat Bibi – National Geographic’s famous ‘Afghan Girl’ – and her two sons earlier this week.
Senior officials of ministry of interior and Nadra informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for the first time revealed that thousands of foreigners were being issued CNICs.
The ISI through a letter on May 28, 2013 forwarded a list of 1,772 Afghans along with their CNICs and 29 suspected Nadra employees who were involved in this illegal business, they added.
New Nadra Chairman Usman Mobin, whose appointment was praised by the Senate Panel, informed the lawmakers that investigation against 372 employees, who facilitated Afghan citizens to get CNICs, is going on.
“Previously we were very lenient. After [emergence of] this issue we are very strict,” he told the members of the panel that more than 52 of 372 senior officers of Nadra were involved in issuing CNICs to Afghan citizens.
The 114 employees who were involved in the scam serving in Quetta regional office, 110 in Sargodha, 71 in Peshawar, 21 in Sukkur and 11 employees were involved in Lahore regional office, Nadra officials informed the committee.
On this point, Senator Shahi Syed of Awami National Party observed that it seems that Pakistan citizenship was on sale as senior officers, who were allegedly being bribed, were facilitating foreigners to get the CNICs.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), other intelligence agencies and ministry of interior are cooperating with Nadra to dig out this scam, additional secretary Fazl Abbas Maken told the committee.
Nadra officials informed the lawmakers that they have registered 29,410 aliens, 70,161 aliens got their cards renewed while 684 foreigners got work permits in last 10 years. These are Afghans, Iraqis, Bangladeshis, Tajiks, Tanzanians, etc, they added.
Nadra chairman also informed the committee that salary of 330 employees was stopped who joined Nadra after the ban on fresh appointment imposed by the government in June 2013. An inquiry is being conducted in this regard, he added.
NADRA official denies sacking
Deputy Assistant Director Nadra K-P Palwasha Afridi has denied being sacked for illegally issuing CNICs to Sharbat Bibi and her sons. Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Afridi said she was not in-charge of the centre when the cards were issued.
“Mohsin Ihsan, a former employee of Nadra who currently works in the income tax department, was in-charge at the time and his signatures are also present on Sharbat Bibi’s form,” she claimed. “No signature can be traced back to me,” she added.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2015.