CNICs for Afghans: MPAs, MNAs among those booked for attesting forms

Former and serving elected representatives, govt servants rush to get bail before arrest


Riaz Ahmad June 13, 2015
DESIGN: SUNARA NIZAMI

PESHAWAR:


Scores of former and serving elected representatives and government servants have been named in FIRs registered by the police for attesting papers of Afghan refugees and enabling them to obtain CNICs. The step was taken following directives from the IGP.


Earlier this week, at least 531 FIRs were registered against such people after the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) shared with the police names of government servants, politicians and former nazims who had attested the documents. Around 500 people have been nominated in the reports from Peshawar district alone. These include an MNA, an MPA, two ex-MPAs, a former mayor of Peshawar and countless union council nazims.

Question mark

However, although Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police have decided to take action against these individuals, uncertainty clouds some of the names mentioned in the FIRs.

An official of Badhaber police told The Express Tribune an FIR had been registered against Gulzar Khan, a resident of Islamabad, for attesting the CNIC form of Sajida who is an Afghan refugee.

Because there is also a PTI MNA from the provincial capital with the same name who also lives in Islamabad, police has decided to stay on the safe side.

“We have registered an FIR against a man identified as Gulzar Khan,” the moharar of Badhaber police station told The Express Tribune. “However, we don’t know whether he is an MNA or not as the list provided by NADRA does not specify his designation.”

Badhaber SHO Ibad Wazir and DSP Yasin Khan have also refused to comment on the matter as they cannot say anything unless the official’s designation is verified. However, the moharar is certain about others who have been nominated in FIRs.

“Ghazanfar, a former nazim of Badhaber and an ex-nazim of Kaga Wala union council as well as several head masters have been included in the FIR,” he added.

All FIRs have been registered under NADRA Ordinance 2000 and various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Following the registration of FIRs, many of the ex-nazims and elected representatives who have been nominated are now trying to obtain bail before arrest to avoid being sent to jail.

Bail before arrest

“My name is also included in the FIR,” said Haji Asad, a former nazim of Mattani union council. “I am being accused of attesting the form of a person from Darwazgai area of Mattani. However, the FIR only mentions a CNIC number and not the name of the person.”

Asad claims a large number of CNICs which have blocked are being included in the FIRs.

“If I have attested the CNIC form of a local and it has been is blocked by NADRA, I am likely to be booked because I attested the document,” he added. “If NADRA blocks CNICs, it doesn’t mean the person is not a Pakistani national.”

Asad added he is trying to obtain bail before arrest as most of the people nominated in the FIR were either elected representatives, headmasters or government officers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

syed & syed | 8 years ago | Reply The courts should take stern action and no bail be granted if we have an honest judiciary. Their action will go a long way in the history of Pakistan
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