PESHAWAR, June 16: A federal intelligence agency is reported to have arrested a senior official of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on suspicion of having links with Afghan narcotics smugglers, sources have told Dawn. The official, a deputy director, was arrested from his residence in Hayatabad township five days ago, sources said, adding that eight members ‘his gang’ had been detained over the past three days.

They said the agency had taken the official, a retired major, to Islamabad for interrogation. He has been charged with helping Afghan smugglers get Pakistani computerized national identity cards.

He was arrested on the basis of information provided by an Afghan smuggler arrested recently at the Islamabad airport when he was about to board a flight.

The official, the sources said, was responsible for checking the identity of people, before issuing the computerized NIC.

Nadra Media Coordinating Officer Karamatullah Durrani said the official was on leave and declined comment on his arrest.