ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat (Capital Administration and Development Division) was informed on Wednesday that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has so far blocked 17,481 identity cards issued to foreigners.
Senate body met here under the chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood and attended by Senators Kamil Ali Agha, Ms. Najma Hameed, Kalsoom Parveen and officials of NADRA and IB.
While admitting involvement of its employees in issuance of fake database identity cards to foreigners, the NADRA official said that action against such official is being taken. NADRA had also blocked 0.236 million suspected CNICs, the official told the body.
The official of Intelligence Bureau (IB) apprised the committee members that they have sent a report to NADRA containing verification of 2800 CNICs issued to Afghan nationals but the institution didn’t respond so far. He said that the IB is verifying about 4,000 CNICs cards per year in an average.
The IB suggested that authentic data bank of foreigners living in Pakistan should be established and the Afghan migrants should be kept in camps till the time of their return to Afghanistan.
Chairman of the committee, Talha Mehmood observed that number of foreigners were held from sensitive buildings and border areas of the country and Pakistani CNICs were recovered from them. He said that the intelligence agencies have been utilizing all resources in searching of foreigners residing in Pakistan but on the other hand NADRA has been supporting such elements through issuing fake ID cards.
The Chairman directed NADRA to submit report about verification of 2800 CNICs following the report of IB within one week. The committee also directed to activate Joint Verification Committees and improvement in coordination between NADRA and IB.
NADRA blocks 17,481 CNICs issued to foreigners
