QUETTA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested former assistant director National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Ghulam Muhammad Bugti for suspected involvement in the issuance of identification papers to former Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour.

Officials recovered a Pakistani identity card and passport under the alias Wali Muhammad from the site of the American drone strike which killed the Taliban chief earlier this month in Balochistan. Mansour's ID card was renewed in 2012.

Ghulam Bugti, who retired in 2007, had played an important role in issuing an NIC to Mansour in 2002, FIA sources said.

Bugti has been shifted to FIA's regional office for interrogation. "The scope of investigation is being widened", an FIA officer who declined to be named told DawnNews.

Domicile issued in Killa Abdullah

Mullah Mansour was issued a domicile from the province’s Killa Abdullah district in 1999. He had portrayed himself as Muhammad Wali, a resident of Chaman belonging to the Kakar tribe.

FIA obtained the copy of the domicile and have launched an inquiry against the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Killa Abdullah Hafiz Mohammad Tahir. The DC is like to be arrested, sources in FIA told DawnNews.

Following the incident, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar ordered a probe to find out how identification documents had been granted to the former Taliban chief.

NADRA has also launched an investigation into nearly 2.5 million families across the country in the aftermath of the drone strike.

Earlier this week, FIA arrested former assistant commissioner Qila Abdullah Rafiq Tareen for verifying Mullah Akhtar Mansour's passport, in addition to three NADRA officials in Qila Abdullah and Quetta for issuing Mansour's NIC.

Former deputy commissioner Qila Abdullah Hafiz Muhammad Tahir is also being interrogated by the FIA in relation to the case of Mansour's ID documents.