ISLAMABAD: The revelation of distortion and manipulation in the sensitive data of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) set off alarm bells on Friday with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan giving two weeks to its officials to correct the record.

“Lack of transparency and distortion of record at anybody’s behest or pressure is unacceptable,” he said after attending a lengthy briefing on the functioning of Nadra during his first visit to its office.

Talking to reporters and addressing Nadra officials, he indicated that those responsible for any manipulation would create problems for themselves. He said it was dangerous whether done under political pressure or for monetary gains.

The minister banned entry of foreigners in Nadra offices and their interaction with the authority’s personnel without permission. “Some of you handle very sensitive data and many powers have a desire to get an access to it,” he said.He said the interior ministry had received a reference from intelligence agencies that many in Nadra were occupying senior positions without security clearance.

“It is a serious issue and will be referred to the newly constituted Nadra Board,” he said.

The minister said he was alarmed to know about ‘a brigade of directors general’ in Nadra. “How can an army having more generals and less soldiers effectively wage a war?” he asked, adding that the Nadra Board would review their performance.

Chaudhry Nisar said thousands of people had been recruited in Nadra since 2008 and the authority was still confused over the exact number.

He aid that even during the ban on jobs placed by the present government hundreds of people had been secretly inducted without any advertisement. “Nadra has become a recruiting agency and that is why 71 per cent of its budget goes in salaries.”

He said foreign postings had been given to people as a favour without any criteria and many had been serving for years after expiry of their one-and-a-half-year tenure.

He said a reference would be sent to the board to ensure that those working beyond their term should be recalled. He said the foreign postings from now on would strictly be based on merit and the minister and chairman would not decide about them.

He asked Nadra to seek an explanation from Brig Zahid Hussain who had given a raise 10pc to the employees as acting chairman and take disciplinary action if he failed to reply within three days.

The minister asked Nadra to continue an independent verification of thumb impressions without any fear or favour and said those involved in the exercise need not brief him or the authority’s chairman.

Terming Nadra a national asset, he said nobody should be in any doubt about the status of the authority on which the government had spent billions of rupees. “It is an attached department of the ministry of interior.”

He said Nadra was a profit earning institution because of the monopoly in data and registration given to it by the government.

He said the new chairman of Nadra would be appointed on merit in a transparent manner for the first time in the history of the country.

Nadra’s acting Chairman Imtiaz Tajwar briefed the minister about operational matters relating to the authority, including the national registration programme, innovative utilisation of the database as well as major national and international projects.