PESHAWAR: Peshawar district and sessions judge Shahid Khan on Friday dismissed pre-arrest bail petitions of 15 persons including former councillors accused of verifying documents of Afghan nationals for acquiring Pakistani computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

After rejection of their pre-arrest bail the suspects were handed over to the relevant police stations of Faqirabad, Paharipura, Hasthnagri, Tehkal, Daudzai and Hayatabad.

Around 70 petitions have been filed by government officials as well as former nazims, naib-nazims and councillors, who are charged in FIRs registered at the relevant police stations after information was provided by NADRA in this regard.

The cases of government officials will be heard on July 27 (Monday) and the rest today (Saturday).

The police had registered FIRs under sections 419 and 420 of Pakistan Penal Code and sections 30 and 31 of Nadra Act.

The suspects have been charged for forgery, cheating and impersonation.

Among the suspects are former naib nazim of Kahlsa 1 Union Council Momin Khan, councillor of the same council Bashir Orakzai, former councillor of Tehkal Asghar Ali and another naib nazim of Hayatabad Bashir Khan.

Public prosecutor Qaisar Khan said lately, senior government officials, including those of the interior ministry, discussed in Islamabad the issue of CNICs issued to Afghan nationals.

He said Nadra had prepared a list of around 1,800 people, who had acquired Pakistani CNICs as well as Proof of Registration cards meant for Afghan refugees.

The public prosecutor said the list in question was sent by Nadra to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police officer and subsequently to the relevant police stations for registration of cases against those with illegal CNICs and the officials, who verified their documents.

He said Nadra had already blocked such CNICs.

The counsel for the petitioners said their clients had verified or attested documents on the basis of the documents already available with applicants.

They said CNIC applicants had long been living in their current localities and had already possessed the previous identity cards, which had been abolished, and therefore, their clients had attested their documents.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2015

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