‘CNICs issued to more than 5,700 aliens illegally’

Karachi
The Federal Investigation Agency’s, anti-human trafficking circle in Karachi unearthed a large scam pertaining to the issuance of computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to more than 5,700 aliens hailing from Bangladesh, Maynamar and Afghanistan, by the officials of National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).
According to the deputy director of FIA’s anti-human trafficking circle, Ashfaq Alam, the inquiry began when a complaint was received from Rashid Bashir Mazari, the joint secretary administration at the federal interior ministry about 1,106 duplicate entries in the Nadra database pertaining to multiple issuances of alien registration and CNICs.
Upon subsequent investigation, he said, the FIA discovered 5,706 cases in which aliens had succeeded in obtaining computerised national Identity Cards. The deputy director said most of them belonged to Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Burma, while some 10 CNIC holders were Indian nationals. Besides, around 599 confirmed aliens also held machine readable passports (MRPs).
According to the deputy director, between 2010 and 2014, the Nadra officials in Karachi had not been responding to the queries of FIA. However, when the senior command began to take interest since the beginning of this year, Nadra finally responded with partial details after a notice was issued under section 94 of the CrPC.
He said the full details still have to be ascertained, the FIA has enough evidence to prosecute these aliens, corrupt Nadra officials, local agents and others involved in the scam.
During the inquiry, he said, the Nadra headquarters in Islamabad revealed that the user log for the form-based application system was not provided to the investigators. However, Nadra forwarded a list of 195 CNICs processed through the fast-track registration centre.
He said out of the 5,706 CNICs as mentioned above more than 5,511 had been processed via the form-based application system.
The deputy director said it was strange that Nadra through an official letter claimed that they had no details of the employees who processed these CNICs but the FIA was working to find them.
He said after the expiration of CNICs issued under form-based application system, the requests were processed by the fast-track registration centre.
He said 195 CNICs out of the total 5,706 had been issued under the fast-track registration system.
He said for the past few months, the unit had been trying to obtain the complete user log of employees who had processed the cards. After Nadra received a letter under Section 96 of the CrPC, only then it responded with partial data pertaining to the details of 50 CNICs, and even less details of 91 CNICs issued. There were no details about 41 more CNICs issued by the authority.
Deputy director Ashfaq Alam said four cases (FIR 110/2015 to 113/2015) had been registered under the
Foreigners Act (section 3 (2) 13/14, read with sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 109 of Pakistan Penal Code and Section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act-II) at the FIA’s anti-human trafficking circle’s headquarters in Karachi against aliens, Nadra officials concerned and other officers.
He said the CNICs to aliens and Bangladeshi nationals were processed on fast-track registration in which the partial user log of NADRA officers and officials was provided by the Nadra authorities.
Besides, he added, three more Bangladeshi nationals, registered with National Alien Registration Authority, have been booked for obtaining Pakistani CNICs by fraudulent means with forged documents. However, he said, the complete role of Nadra employees was yet to be determined.
He said seven nominated Bangladeshi suspects had been arrested while the search for more was under way.