Some lawmakers got foreigners appointed in Nadra: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday told the National Assembly that some members of parliament got foreigners appointed to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and he will need parliament’s help to clear the mess.
The minister told the MNAs that the performance of his ministry could be debated in the National Assembly. He told the House that various comprehensive measures had been taken to control corruption in the subordinate organisations of his ministry and improve their working.
Nisar said that he had to do a lot of hard work in order to control the corrupt mafia and 200 corrupt employees of Nadra had been dismissed in the last one year. He revealed that foreigners were also recruited in Nadra on recommendation of parliamentarians saying that he would forward names of the members to the NA speaker and Senate chairman.
While speaking about reforms introduced in passport offices and Nadra, the minister also suggested that the House should discuss the performance of ministries. “In order to restore the confidence of the masses, the ministers should table the performance of their ministries in the House and there should be a debate on it,” he said.
Nisar volunteered that he would brief the NA on the performance of his ministry during the next session. “The issue may be taken up in a meeting of the Business Advisory Council of the House to take the decision,” he said.
He said that the past practice of taking cameras and biometric system to residences of the president, prime minister and interior minister had been done away with. The minister said a request was also received from the Bilawal House for cameras and biometric system but they were conveyed that such a practice had now been ended. “I have taken the initiative to end this tradition from my home and now members of the president and prime minister’s families also visit the passport offices for their passports,” he said.
He told the House that 73 new regional passport offices would be established across the country at the cost of Rs680 million during the next one year to facilitate the people. He said online passport and computerised national identity cards (CNICs) would be launched soon, adding that under this system an applicant would have to appear in the office only once for biometric verification. He pointed out that home passport delivery system had already been launched in four cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. During the next four months, the system would be extended to the whole country.
The minister said time period for issuance of passports had been decreased and now and ordinary passport in 10 instead of 14 days while validity of passport had been enhanced to 10years from five years.
Chaudhry Nisar said when he took over the ministry, there was a backlog of 0.5 million passports which was cleared in two months. He said that action was being taken against corrupt people in Nadra and Directorate of Immigration and Passports. He said 100,000 fake ID cards had also been blocked during last year and action was being taken against the responsible persons. “I assure the House each and every fake ID card will be detected and those involved in the practice will also be taken to the task,” the minister said.
The minister further said that 13 mega Nadra centres were also being set up in the country where prompt and international standard service would be provided.
Replying to points raised by members including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Dr Nafeesa Shah, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Sahibzada Tariqullah and others, he suggested that a committee comprising parliamentarians could be formed to oversee the issue of fake and blocked ID cards. He said that wrong and fake ID cards had not been blocked only in KP province but in the whole country. He said complaints in this regard would be addressed on priority basis.
He proposed that the parliamentarians whether they belonged to treasury or opposition benches should visit Nadra and passport offices in their relevant constituencies and give their feedback to his ministry. He pointed out that issue of fake passports was also serious as 20,000 Pakistanis were sent behind the bars for holding such passports.
Expressing his reservations over blocked CNICs, Fazlur Rehman said that ID cards of a large number of people from KP and in some cases of the whole tribes were blocked.
Sheikh Rasheed and Sahibzada Tariqullah observed that the interior minister had set a good precedent by offering to present the performance of his ministry before the NA. However, they said the grievances of Pakhtuns should also be redressed.
Junaid Akbar of the PTI said that ID cards of Pakhtuns were being blocked all over the country.Shah Jee Gul Afridi said there were no passport offices in three agencies of tribal areas.
Dr Nafeesa Shah of the PPP expressed concern over functioning of banned outfits with new names.Earlier, the National Assembly could not take up legislative business due to lack of quorum in the House.
As the chair decided to take up legislative business, Dr Shireen Mazari of the PTI pointed out lack of quorum and her party colleagues also left the House immediately. On counting, the chair was informed that number of members required to complete quorum were not present in the hall.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary informed the National Assembly during question hour that the government has allocated Rs1 billion in the current financial year to improve infrastructure and facilities in public sector educational institutions in the federal capital. He said one hundred million rupees have already been released for this purpose. He said over two thousand teachers will be recruited soon to overcome shortage teachers in the educational institutions.
Tariq Fazal informed the House that Capital Administration and Development Division has planned to construct 200-bed hospital in G-13 Sector of Islamabad. He said upon allocation of funds, construction work will be executed.