Pakistan cracks down on officials who helped Mansour get CNIC

QUETTA: Pakistani authorities have launched a crackdown against officials who helped Mullah Mansour aka Wali Muhammad, Amir of Afghan Taliban, get Pakistani Identity card, arresting a senior officer of Levies and an employee of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) from Quetta and Karachi.

Sources in the interior minister said the officials were arrested in raids carried out in Quetta and Karachi. One of them identified as Aziz Ahmed, an official of the Levies, is accused of verifying application form of Wali Muhammad in 2001.

The sources further revealed that a suspect identified as Rifat Iqbal was taken into custody  from Karachi for allegedly making efforts to help the second wife and children of the fugitive militant leader acquire Pakistani citizenship.

They said Rifat Iqbal is an employee of the NADRA and went into hiding after a US drone targeted a car in Noshki area of Balochistan killing Wali Muhammad and another man.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has launched a drive to re-verify Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) of all Pakistani citizens after Pakistani passport and CNIC was found near the site of the drone attack that killed the Taliban leader.