Fake identities: FIA to investigate NADRA officials for issuing CNICs to ‘aliens’

At least 10 CNICs were found to have been issued to Indian nationals.

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claims it has ‘enough’ evidence to pursue cases against officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), who have allegedly issued computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to ‘aliens and foreign nationals’.

The agency’s deputy director, Ashfaque Alam, made this revelation during a press conference on Monday. Alam shared documents and the progress of investigations by the agency, based on which the agency will investigate the role of NADRA officials in issuing the illegal CNICs.

“We have been investigating the matter for over four years,” he said. “Unfortunately, NADRA Karachi has not been responding to our queries for unknown reasons. However, our efforts paid off when we exerted more pressure and through the personal interest of the authorities.”

According to Alam, the inquiry was initiated in September 2010 on a complaint from the interior ministry to look into the reported issuance of CNICs to aliens and foreigners. During the investigation, 1,106 duplicate entries were found in NADRA’s database, through which aliens were issued multiple alien registration cards (ARCs), he said. “For their part, NADRA has discovered 5,062 cases where aliens were issued CNICs. Most of these aliens were from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Burma,” said Alam. “Interestingly, 10 Indian nationals were also issued CNICs over the same period.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2015.