Four Nadra officials suspended for issuing CNIC to McCurry's 'Afghan Girl'
84
PESHAWAR: After coming under fire for issuing Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) to famed Afghan woman Sharbat Bibi and two men who are said to be her sons, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on Wednesday suspended four officials stationed at its Hayatabad office, a source in the agency said.
The suspended officials include three males and a female, the source said, adding that an inquiry committee has also been formed to investigate the matter.
The suspended persons played an active role in issuing the CNICs to the said persons.
The official said Nadra also blocked the CNICs of Sharbat Bibi and the two men who are said to be her sons.
However, Nadra high-ups refused to comment on the matter.
Sources at Nadra’s Hayatabad office had earlier told Dawn that high-ups in the Nadra issued three CNICs on a single day last year to the 46-year-old Sharbat Bibi, wife of Rehmat Gul, and her two sons Rauf Khan and Wali Khan in violation of rules and regulations.
Take a look: Pakistan issues CNIC to Nat Geo's famed 'Afghan Girl'
In 1984, Sharbat moved to Peshawar along with her two sons and since then, she has been residing in the Nasir Bagh camp established for Afghan refugees. Earlier reports had said that Sharbat has three daughters. This is in contrast with the information on the Nadra form which maintains that she has two sons.
"They may not be her sons but this is a common practice among Afghan refugees whereby they list names of non-relatives as their children to obtain documents," a Nadra source had said.
In her CNIC form filed on April 17, 2014, the ‘Afghan Girl’ listed herself to have been born in Peshawar on Jan 1, 1969, residing at Talab Road, Nauthia Qadeem, Mohallah Mast Gul, Peshawar.
 |
| Men identified by Nadra as Sharbat Bibi's sons Wali Khan (L) and Rauf Khan (R). |
'Mona Lisa of Afghan war'
Sharbat Bibi became famously known as the 'Afghan Girl' when National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry captured her photograph at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp situated on the edge of Peshawar in 1984 and identified her as Sharbat Gula.
 |
| Sharbat Gula in 1984 and 2002. |
She gained worldwide recognition when her image was featured on the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic Magazine at a time when she was approximately 12 years old.
That photo has been likened with Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
National Geographic also made a short documentary about her life and dubbed her the ‘Mona Lisa of Afghan war’.
She remained anonymous for years after her first photo made her an icon around the world and until she was discovered by National Geographic in 2002.
After Sharbat's family granted her permission to meet with the man who photographed her 17 years ago, McCurry knew immediately, even after so many years, that he had found her again.
"Her eyes are as haunting now as they were then," he had said.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (84) Closed
Feb 25, 2015 12:12pm
How old was she when she became a mom?!?!
Those sons look as old as her plus no resemblance to each other or their 'mom' !
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:13pm
Like I said before...Cut them Loose ...let them go to Their own country ....Please....let them progress their ....no one can help them..seeking these asylums INCLUDING (PAKISTAN, PALESTINE, ETC ETC ) is not the solution of the problem ...we need to bring change ourselves in our home land. Just for mere Thousands you are offering your Identity to others......
MY FRIENDS ..YOU CANNOT BECOME A PAKISTANI....YOU HAVE TO BE BORN PAKISTANI.......Thats the spirit of it ....
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:22pm
Why suspension??
Look for those who attested the documents. Why are you going to protect them? Find them out and don't mention that no one with that name was ever employed in the school. Nadra people are not the investigators and they just look for the documents attestations and the domiciles etc.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:24pm
That's the way to deal with this kind of situations. Weldon and keep it up by raising our credibility in front of the world and you will see the world will respect us Inshaallah.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:24pm
they suspend junior officers and dont even look at the ones who gave the orders. cosmetic measures!!
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:25pm
Wow....what a country!!! Every action is taken after some tragedy, mishap or negligence. Why have we become so reactive?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:25pm
Who are these "Nadra high-ups"? Get the big fish behind all this corruption. This is where the problem lies. It's the Zaradri's and the Shareef's that need to be dealt with. Once that is done the small fish will vanish.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:30pm
corruption is every where in this country.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:30pm
@Jainy nothing will happen, involved persons will be given a warning letter and they will continue the circus.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:35pm
haha.. If something comes up in news then inquiries start otherwise there are thousands of illegal immigrants in Pakistan with fake passports. Many contest the elections with fake degrees and then rule us also. What about them?
Total failed institutions. Politicians give a call to a department head and the officer does anything for him and if he doesn't do, then poor guy loses the job. grrr
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:43pm
Look for people who attested her documents, also instead of junior officers why not get the man incharge who finally approved their NIC, signed their final papers. Did he see this if not he should be the first one to be suspended.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:44pm
Good work by Nadra...we are already over populated. ...how can we manage to give nationalities to other 3rd world countries
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 12:49pm
Corruption is all around from top to the bottom...Nadra, The judge, The Mulla ,The Teacher, The Doctor and the Pakistan cricket team you name it, all are corrupt.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:19pm
Sharbat Bibi has been in Pak since 1984. She deserves a legal status
on humanitarian grounds alone.. She is an iconic figure. England, Sweden,
Denmark, Germany, Norway will accept her in a moment. She deserves
at least this much. To live in peace.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:25pm
If this women is peaceful & has no link with any type of terrorism in & out of Pakistan then she should be allowed to live peacefully, there are several thousand Afghan living in Pakistan with Pakistani ID Card, why to hunt this poor women alone. As for Mr curry its all in a day's work.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:30pm
Haha any one surprised !!! Corruption everywhere . Tell us something different fedup of all this .
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:31pm
@deepak "Those sons look as old as her plus no resemblance to each other or their 'mom' !" Technically it is possible.....!!
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:33pm
I would say let the peaceful Afghans live in Pakistan and take Pakistani citizenship just like they have been living here for past three decades or so!
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:33pm
This has come to light because the person involved is of Nat Geographic fame. How many millions Afghans have been issued CNICs without anyone knowing. I bet all the be-headed "Pakistanis" in Saudi were actually Afghans.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 01:54pm
Look at it from another angle. At least there are some desperate and unfortunate people who covet the citizenship of this country. I say let them have it.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:03pm
She is not a harm to us.. She certainly lived a painful life in the refugee camps.
come on.. just grant her citizenship..
one act of good deed will certainly reward us and may go long way..
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:04pm
There are lots of irregularities in NADRA and they need to be dealth with on urgent basis. For all the trouble that it gives to rightful citizens seeking its services, NADRA's staff members can freely bypass SOPs.
There should be strict regular audit of NADRA's activities by Intelligence agencies.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:15pm
From the past 30 years Hundreds of thousands afghan nationals have become pakistani nationals through fake documents, why the hue and cry now over an individual.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:16pm
NADRA used to be proud of its efficiency but everything about its claims has crumble down like house of cards. The common theory prevailing in any city and village of Pakistan that anyone can get computerized CNIC from NADRA has proved true. No sanctity can now be attached with the accuracy of NADRA. The people at helm of affair in NADRA to look into the matter and their tall claims.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:25pm
I do not object to her & her children having Pak: NIC, they have lived here long enough to deserve it like million of Paks living in the west, the irregularities in NADRA need to be sorted like most of the other deptts. Why has this made such head lines I do not understand
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:37pm
@Lafanga rightly said
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:41pm
It is common practice in Karachi and NADRA black sheep's earning in million for doing this. I think the case must be a Treason so that there will not be a next time. We should also upgrade our system and give Citizenship (introduce some process or system) to those who will give us benefit like professional of different fields or traders.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:46pm
Pakistan is their first home and Afghanistan is their second home. it's a sad reality.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:49pm
This is extremely alarming! I suggest a member of Pakistani Armed Force must be the part of governing body of NADRA. This clearly reflects that our enemy can simply penetrate in our society as a Pakistani national holding Pakistani ID card. There should be severe punishment for such NADRA officials who are involved in corruption and issuing NICs and Passport to foreign nationals.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 02:51pm
Suspension is not enough they all should be charged under high treason and should be given exemplary punishment so that other should not commit such heinous crimes
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:01pm
While there are a lot of people advocating on stay for Afghans in Pakistan, they need to know that the Afghans in Pakistan are a generation wasted. They can never be the first class citizens. Most of them do not go to school, children start off as rag-pickers and end up as drivers and labourers etc (some of them are better off who become smugglers). So let them go home, which is hard, but their next generations have a much brighter and dignified future.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:04pm
Mullah Omar must now be living as Mullah Omardin somewhere in Pakistan. Thanks Nadra for nailing us there
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:04pm
lafanga Sahib,fight with corruption is not dealt from high to low,nor from low to high,nor from both like sandwich,but from within.There are many poor nations where ordinary people don't take corruption,and there are rich countries where high ranked officials are corrupt only,and some nations are enjoying sandwichs as its is right.If you ask anyone in Pakistan who is responsible,they blame their seniors or the whole system,instead of feeling any guilt for their own deed.Parents,Wife,kids,everyone knows that papa earns 40,000 rupees per month,but how come his expendure is in lakhs per month.Pakistani Family Policy'Never ask,never mention,lets pray that Allah gives more,and more happiness'Yes,Allah gives,and make them more and more hungry,and more miserable,apetite increasing and they thinking that materialism making them happy.And they are lost forever in this apetite,and stop feeling any guilt at all,repeatly mantra'I have to feed my kids'.Look at the record of Japan when it had nothing to eat after WW2.They were honest and look at them now.They are not muslims,they not even believe in any God.Once in a while,we have a corrupt politician,but very rare.Look at one who kept crying like a baby.On low level,it is almost zero
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:07pm
@deepak Agree with you, but what about Saleh Muhammed the snooker champion of Pakistan and who represented Pakistan on international level. I don't think so one can represent a country if he is not a citizen of that country. Saleh Mohammed is a Afghani citizen how was he issued a CNIC and a Pakistani passport.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:07pm
Is it me or do those two not look like each other or their mother! Do we have ID card children here like 'green card' marriages in the US? Any DNA test would probably get the "Mona Lisa" killed so never mind...
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:44pm
This is called KneeJerk reaction. There was no problem granting her dual citizenship, 90% of refujees already are.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:50pm
Pakistanis are incredibly naive or have blinders on I recently came to Pakistan to renew my Uncles NIC card he is 98 years old the NADRA offices & procedures are a disgusting men. The rich hire lawyers to weave through the bureaucratic mess while the average citizen is treated like a dog to just get their NIC card. The offices are overcrowded while NADRA officers look bored take long breaks are taking personal calls there is no method to the madness & yet the comments I see here are childish rants of people seeking asylum but zero condemnation on the ineffective corrupt organization of NADRA? The media print & cable is complicit that no investigative reporting is done & the citizens are left to fend for themselves.
My experience left me disgusted the NADRA employees were ill informed about the requirements my Uncle has no living family members so the requirements varied I was told to go to the posh executive NADRA office where rude NADRA officers questioned my Uncle we directed to goto the local NADRA office waiting hours in line as there is NO special line for seniors the local NADRA wanted two NIC card holders when we presented them this on another visit they said it was not acceptable they need two attesters with smart NIC cards so I rounded two of his friends we went back to the same office the NADRA officer who requested was not there the new officer claimed just two NIC cards were sufficient so we had to return but since the one month expiration I had to reapply for my Uncle & start the process again! So tell me what are older people in Pakistan supposed to do, seniors are supposed to suffer & those who do not have the resources give up our priorities are screwed up & yet we are worried about the AFGHAN girl ?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:53pm
So much pain in those eyes.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 03:57pm
She is living in Pakistan from 1984. Why not? The same Pakistanis will complain if UK does not give them citizenship after a couple of years....
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:01pm
No need to issue CNICs to Afghans, they are 'visitors' and should be treated as such. Pak has enough issues of their own to deal with. Who will deal with this rapid increase in population later? Who will feed them? Jobs are already scarce. Just to re-new a CNIC a Pakistani has to go through a painfully cumbersome process and these Afghans are being gifted with identity cards now.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:04pm
With right money(bribe) and right person we can do anything in the country.. God save the country..
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:09pm
@NAS it is in our nature to create hurdles... that is the only thing we are good at...
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:10pm
@Jainy .... always the weak one have you ever seen mighty one been jailed in Pakistan...
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:11pm
@Common Man we are reactive but not for the right stuff...
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:18pm
why the high ups wont make a comments... they are in public services. they are accountable for their action... Oh i am sorry not in Pakistan...
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:25pm
Petty.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:59pm
I have been living in the USA for long time. I am planning on spending some of my retirement time in Pakistan. I applied for NICOP last year. It has been a year and I still do not have it yet. Twice I have provided documents ask of me by NADRA Pakistan.
I guess a powerful backer is needed to get my application approved.
Actually, I still love the place I was born and spent some time.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 04:59pm
Afghanistan splits from India in1876 and Pakistan made in 1947 but still in these two countries have migration and refugee problem.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 05:18pm
Half the I DP's in Pakistan hold CNI C, Start some mechanism with which they can be identified and placed in camp till there final departure.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 05:41pm
there are so many afghanies are residing in sindh province being hold a pakistani CNIC and one of the big issue of Pakistan is "Terrorism" and it is only from external elements to extendd the terrorism in our country, first of all i request to Govt: of Pakistan to take legal action against Afghanis who are residing in Pakistan being a holding of Pakistani CNIC. and cancel thier Pakistani CNIC
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 05:53pm
We are all responsible and guity of same crime,as family,as society,as muslims ummah.The son who knows that his father is sending him to a school with rishwat,mother who don't ask a son,wife who buys jewelry,makeup kits,grocery,a brother who drinks a teacup at his brother's residence,all same guilty,in my eyes,in fact more guilty,for not questioning.In Japanese,we have Anmoku no ryoukai,which means tacit understanding, unspoken agreement.This is Pakistan's haal of family structure
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:06pm
Corruption is a grown tree in our country and at existing time have millions of branches. Who can stop corruption in this country? An honest man a son or daughter of a honest mother. Wait please?????????
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:08pm
They could not be her sons. How did they manage to get NADRA cards?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:22pm
This is not new and, not the only case, hundred of thousands of Afghans, Bangladeshi, Russians, Arabs and other countries are given ID cards, easily. Often the genuine Pakistanis CNIC's are made with difficulty.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:24pm
Nothing personal against Ms. Sharbat, but one has to go through immigration process to become a resident in Pakistan. No matter how its governance is, no matter how bad and corrupt its politicians and it government officials are and no matter how bad we as Pakistanis are the process remains the same just like any other independent country.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:26pm
Anything is possible in Pakistan. You pay or if you have connections you can buy Pakistani passport or any other document. It's the only country in the world which is free for all. Our politicians are either sleeping or busy making money. People from Afghanistan obtain Pakistani passport and go to other countries on Pakistani passports. Remember those REAL Pakistanis who fought for Pakistan in East Pakistan have been denied Pakistani citizenship. Long live Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 06:56pm
She is more Pakistani than Afghani and in any case refugees have been accepted with open arms since the 70's. Since then millions have come over and gotten the nationality without any plan or policy and by now are integral part of the country. Generally, in other countries, even a boatload of refugees is big news. Why make a big deal now? may be to show that some government dept is doing it's job?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 07:00pm
@Pune-India The west created all this mess read the history.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 07:01pm
Praise to Ch.Nisar and his team that seems strict to Afghan refugees. Let them go back and live peacefully there. The Govt. should award handsome money who identifies any Afghan holding Pak nationality or ID.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 07:37pm
@Kublai The only humanitarian comments I have read so far in the enormously condemnable comments about this poor and helpless human being.The fact that she is an international figure and is being compared by highly respected figures as a second mona lisa, has been living in Pakistan for such a long period.If this muslim woman had been living in a western country(Socalled KAFIRS in our society),she would have been granted nationality long ago.Instead of making a hill of molehill,shouldn't we grant her Pak nationality?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 08:32pm
These cannot be her sons. And the NADRA needs to have some regard for personal privacy. In the civilized world no one is treated like that.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 08:38pm
I sympathise with Ms. Sharbat Gula and all the war-afflicted immigrants and emgaigrants. This very incident shows how the the earth, with all its vastitude, can at times become a place too small for you. It grieves me to know that the legendary Afghan Girl has been given such a space on media but no room on earth. This reminds me of the pictures of skeleton-like looking pale and weak children, men and women whose photographs succeed in getting the attention of people, but their breathing bodies cannot.
P.S. By the way, it could be you and I!
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 08:43pm
The woman looks remarkably like a female version of cricketer Younus Khan
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:08pm
half of pakistan problems can be solved; or atleast mitigated, if afghan refugees are expelled. it will increase employment for locals, reduce crimes, reduce drugs and weaponisation and so on.
and afghanistan must be peaceful country, as declared by nato bosses, after their successful campaign.
if there is an issue with that, all afghans should be confined to camps and live like refugees
and we should not accept criticism from the west. if someone criticizes, show them how afghans treat pakistanis in their country
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:13pm
"Her eyes are as haunting-----------".
These are the eyes of Hyperthyroidism which disease is sometimes precipitated by fear which may have been related to the condition in Afghanistan in those days.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:14pm
@SAL DNA testing is an option
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:35pm
Please there thousands of Afghans who managed to have ID cards and please do something. See what is the news allover the world!
National Geographic 'Afghan girl' in Pakistan papers probe
Pakistani officials are investigating after the famous green-eyed "Afghan girl" immortalised in a 1985 National Geographic magazine cover was found living
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:38pm
@M. Saeed Awan Everyone knwose in KPK and Balochistan even in Islamabad. The government has made a list of Afghan Tycoons, who live in KPK, Balochistan and Islamabad.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 09:44pm
Too little, too late. In fact, due to deep rooted corruption in every field and industry, I bet there are millions of illegal aliens living and working in the "land of the pure" as Pakistani citizens. What a serious joke?
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 10:03pm
If we could accommodate Osama Bin Laden, then why not this lady with her older sons and probably three daughters as reported. Suspension means nothing. Deport all of them to their country.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 10:28pm
What is the big surprise?
In my recent visit to a NADRA office, I could notice majority of those in the queue to be non-Pakistani looking/speaking. NADRA must have been issuing the CNIC to anyone there.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 11:18pm
@Paksitani this is in fact showing irresponsible behavior and mismanagement if anything
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 11:29pm
I have seen Arab received CNIC who. Even can not soeak any of our language but still get special respect.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 11:47pm
@Nizamuddin Ahmad Aali
They are in their country, they live in Peshawar.
Recommend
0
Feb 25, 2015 11:57pm
@Sarwat
No one can stop Afghans for crossing durand line back and forth even without any ID. This in the durand treaty that was signed with your masters.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 12:08am
The four suspended will now get a world wide recognition for being special while hundred of thousand others less know to the world continue to enjoy NADRA's blessings.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 12:34am
@Kublai .The countries you mentioned will take her under what grounds. None of the countries offered her asylum when she was a young refugee living in a camp in Pakistan. Nothing has changed and she has going back and forth to Afghanistan and Pakistan. You want to grant her Pakistani citizenship, then what about the other refugees from Afghanistan living in Pakistan.Our priority should be to bring back Pakistanis living in Bangladesh in refugee camps since 1971.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 12:46am
Sharbat bibi deserve nic just to be monalisa of afghan she is celebrity at international level why it is big issue like there is no corruption in other dept and it is the first time happen in nardara
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 12:50am
If she was born in Pakistan she is Pakistani citizen by birth and should be treated as such.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 01:55am
So what if after decades of living in Pakistan she, husband and sons finally get ID cards; historically its Pashtun land anyway.
Pakistan has shown enormous hospitality thus far,
but to treat this lady; an icon worldwide in this fashion is just wrong,
give her the ID cards,
better yet, if she wants give her the citizenship.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 02:41am
@NAS However, the children of Afghans, born in Pakistani refugee camps, are not able to become Pakistani citizens even though they were born in Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 05:06am
THts the way to handle cases where its professional negligence. Unless laws are implemnted strongly nothing gets corrected. Good work Nadra.
Recommend
0
Feb 26, 2015 06:23am
I used to live in Peshawar I know dozen of afghan people who have cnic they also have passport and the go to other countries on pakistani passport
Recommend
0
Feb 27, 2015 02:05pm
Folks who so ever meets the requirements of the citizenship act of Pakistan is a Pakistani. It is not up to you, me or NADRA to determine it. Bengali, Afghani, Hindu, Burmese, Bihari whatever if they meet the criteria they are Pakistanis.
Recommend
0
