ISLAMABAD: The National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) has received 13,000 complaints from the public regarding registration of aliens in their family trees.

Nadra began receiving a positive response to its Computerised National Identification Card (CNIC) verification drive beginning from July 1.

A six-month drive to verify CNICs is continuing across Pakistan as a national security initiative launched on the directives of the interior minister to cleanse the national database of aliens in possession of Pakistani CNICs and passports.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan chaired a meeting in this regard in which he welcomed the response of the public. He was informed that around 400,000 people checked their family trees by sending SMS to Nadra on their own.

The meeting was attended by the interior secretary, special interior secretary, Nadra chairman and senior interior ministry officials.

The interior ministry had ensured a result-oriented campaign and smooth running of the whole exercise by facilitating the citizens to send an SMS on 8008 to Nadra which in reply verifies the family record. The exercise is aimed at removing aliens from the database.

Nadra’s multi-pronged strategy includes data analysis schemes such as fraud detection and mathematical modelling, utilisation of PTA’s data for identification of aliens, amnesty scheme, establishment of helpline and family tree intrusion detection through SMS.

Nadra is providing complete secrecy to people who make complaints of aliens at its call centre.

Air Wing: Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also approved nationalisation of three Cessna planes and its inclusion into the ministry’s Air Wing for countering terrorism and narcotics menace.

It may be mentioned that these Cessna planes previously were being funded by the US government for operational duties of law enforcement agencies.

The minister said that since changing security paradigms demanded further strengthening, the ministry directed the Air Wing to put up proposals for additional helicopter fleet before Dec 2017, as the existing US funding would end by then.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2016