ISLAMABAD: President Mam-noon Hussain approved on Wednesday a bill under which the National Aliens Registration Authority (Nara) has been merged with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to streamline the process of aliens’ registration and curb illegal immigration.

The president’s spokesman said: “(Acting on) a summary initiated by National Assembly Secretariat, the president has approved the prime minister’s advice and accorded his assent to the Foreigners (Amendment) Bill 2016. The bill seeks to further amend the Foreigners Act, 1946.”

The bill, which had already been passed by the Senate, was adopted by the National Assembly on April 13.

According to its statement of objectives, the number of illegal immigrants in Pakistan has increased manifold, creating socio-economic problems and negatively impacting on security (environment) in the country.

As Nara is not equipped to cope with the situation, the bill allows its merger with Nadra to improve the process of registration of aliens in the country, it says.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered the merger of Nara with Nadra at a meeting on law and order situation in Karachi in March last year. But the interior ministry could not make arrangements for the merger.

An official of the presidency told Dawn that the decision to merge the two registration authorities had been taken to scrutinise collection of data of foreigners living in the country.

More than four million nationals of different countries — including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan — have made Pakistan their home.

Nadra has repeatedly blamed Nara for creating trouble for the former by not properly registering foreign nationals staying in the country.

The situation worsened when the issue of registration of Bengalis came to the limelight two years ago.

In March 2013, the Sindh High Court expressed displeasure over Nara’s poor performance in documentation of foreign immigrants, particularly those living in Karachi. At the time Nadra was accused of creating problems for immigrants even though the fault was with Nara.

Nara is responsible for registering people of different nationalities who have found their way in the country. On the other hand Nadra registers only local people.

Nara was established in 2000 to register foreign nationals after which they could get work permits and driving licences.

Hundreds of thousands of foreigners are still unregistered in Pakistan and some of them may be involved in crimes and terrorism-related activities.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2016