ISLAMABAD: National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in a document submitted before the Senate committee said as many as 765 employees of the authority had been removed while another 856 were being grilled in fake identity cards case.

Moreover, the authority said, during re-verification of Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), started from July 1, the authority found that 9,566 CNICs were issued to aliens and 50,789 persons were suspected to be foreigners. It said CNICs of 66,230 were in the process of being verified by the agency.

The Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas met on Friday with Mohammad Usman Khan Kakar in the chair.

Nadra claims that though the suspected CNICs are blocked temporarily, a legal notice is given to the cardholders.

“If cardholder does not appear in front of the verification board, the card is blocked permanently and a final notice is issued to the cardholder,” document available with Dawn claims.

According to breakup provided in the document, in Islamabad as many as 1,100 new CNIC holders have been confirmed as aliens, which took the tally to 2,464.

The document says 4,000 new aliens have been found in Punjab and 3,456 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But in Sindh and Balochistan the number of illegal card holders has been reduced to 25,539 from 25,572 and 18,981 from 19,284.

However, in Fata 865 new aliens have been found where the number has been increased from 2,718 to 3,646.

Though the documents were tabled at the committee meeting, members were annoyed over the absence of interior minister, secretary interior and high ranking officers from Nadra as just a director came to the meeting to reply to the questions of the committee members.

The chairman of the committee, Mr Kakar, after getting input from the members, decided to hold next meeting of the committee on Oct 27 and directed the interior ministry and Nadra officials to ensure their presence in the meeting.

Moreover, the committee directed Nadra to provide details about the process of verification of CNICs in next meeting.

“We don’t want to give CNIC to any foreigner but the cards of Pakistanis should not be blocked,” the chairman of the committee said.

While talking to Dawn, Mr Kakar said unfortunately bureaucrats consider themselves above everything including the parliament.

“It was strange that not a single officer of the interior ministry and Nadra bothered to inform me that he is unable to attend the meeting,” he said.

Published in Dawn October 8th, 2016