25 January 2004	Sunday	02 Zilhaj 1424

KHAAR (Bajaur Agency), Jan 24: Seven Afghans were arrested for obtaining Pakistan's computerized national identity cards in the agency, sources told Dawn here on Saturday.

The sources said that the political administration was also considering taking action against those tribal elders and Maliks who had attested the application forms of the Afghans living in the Bajaur Agency.

The action against the Afghans was initiated on public complaints that a large number of refugees residing in the agency had obtained Pakistan's computerized national identity cards and some had even got Pakistani passports.

The administration had also issued warrants for arrest of other Afghans possessing CNICs, the sources said.

An official told Dawn here that the administration received credible information that the Afghans had obtained CNICs with the connivance and support of local tribal elders.

He said the administration had also initiated action against those tribal elders who were involved in attesting the application forms of the Afghans. Arrest warrants had also been issued for some tribal elders, he added.

The official said that the administration had also suspended incentives of some tribal elders who had helped Afghans in getting the CNICs, and black-listed them.

The local administration was ordered by Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah that strict action should be taken against the Afghans and those tribal elders who helped them get the CNICs.

The official source said that the detained Afghans had revealed during interrogation that some clerical staff of the Political Administration was also involved in the issuance of the CNICs to the Afghans.