Officials decide to revamp NADRA’s SOP

Karachi
The National Database and Registration Authority’s standard operating procedure needs to be revamped so that foreigners visiting its office for a computerised national identity card could immediately be reported to the Federal Investigation Agency, police’s Special Branch and other agencies.
In a recent meeting of senior officials of the FIA, the Special Branch, NADRA and National Alien Registration Authority in Karachi, it was decided to prepare a comprehensive strategy to stop the issuance of CNICs to Bengalis, Afghans and other foreigners.
The participants of the meeting agreed to cooperate with each other and share information. It was pointed out that the records of the Special Branch needed to be computerised and equipped with a biometric system so that information about a foreigner could be retrieved immediately. A senior official said the interior ministry matter had referred the matter of 5,702 foreigners holding both NARA and CNIC cards to the FIA.
The participants of the meeting were briefed about the CNICs issued to aliens on form-based and the Fast Track Registration Centre-based applications. The matter of CNICs given to immigrants from B Category countries issued C forms at airports on their arrival in Pakistan was also raised. It was noted that these immigrants were bound to have themselves registered with the Special Branch. It was noted that the issuance of CNICs to Afghans, Indians, Bengalis, Uzbeks, Tajiks and Chechens was a serious threat to the security of the country.
The meeting observed that corrupt NADRA officers working with criminals were issuing CNICs to immigrants of B Category countries and when a genuine Pakistani visited a NADRA office for a CNIC, they were required to submit multiple documents and answer several queries. A foreigner can easily obtain a CNIC in comparison with a Pakistani.
In multiple cases, the family tree of an alien was found missing as there was no record of a father, mother and other family members. The official said during the meeting, the case of a foreigner named Siddique Bengali was also discussed. He was unlawfully issued a CNIC by registering him with a family of a village in Tando Mohammad Khan. The elder of that family named Juma Khan told investigators that he did not know any Siddique Bengali. Around 570 confirmed aliens have also obtained Pakistani passports.
The official said it was decided that in the cases of the NADRA employees nominated in four FIRs for processing CNICs of foreigners, the user log of the NADRA Data. Besides, the need for the provision of the user log of all 195 FTRC application-based CNICs was also stressed.
The NADRA Data Warehouse director general has already said regional offices were responsible for providing records. The NADRA representative at the meeting said the Special Branch should send its requirements to the authority for the registration of the immigrants of B Category countries to maintain their computerised record and for their biometric data.