Nadra dismisses deputy chairman from service over 'misuse of authority'

E-Paper | May 04, 2026

The National Database Regulatory Authority (Nadra) on Friday dismissed its deputy chairman, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, over misuse of authority following the conclusion of the inquiry against him.

Shah had already been posted as officer on special duty (OSD) as an inquiry, begun in August 2017, over charges of sexual harassment and misuse of authority was underway against him.

The official's appointment as the deputy chairman of the authority was also suspended by Lahore High Court (LHC) last year after it transpired that the former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had appointed him against the rules. LHC had restrained Shah from functioning and had also suspended his post.

The petitioner had argued that under the law there was no post of deputy chairman in Nadra. However, then interior minister Nisar Ali Khan chairing a board meeting approved the appointment of the respondent as deputy chairman.

Shah was elevated from the post of director general to deputy chairman in 2016 in order to streamline the affairs of the authority when it faced criticism for issuing computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to Afghan nationals, including former Taliban chief Mullah Mansoor, as well as a number of financial scams.

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ADNAN AZIZ

Jan 19, 2018 08:22pm

NADRA is an incompetent organization. It is manned by incompetent and irrelevant retired people.

Recommend 0

Ayub

Jan 19, 2018 08:26pm

An investigation should also be conducted into the misuse of remittance (U$ dollar) received from NADRA Centres set up in the Pak Missions abroad.

Recommend 0

Ali Saeed

Jan 19, 2018 10:14pm

I am so glad to hear that someone finally woke up and fired the chairman of NADRA. I more than certain there are still lots of people who need to be fired as well. I live in the US and a dual national. I have been trying to get a new NICOP that I have already paid Rs.11,500 but it is still in process. I had a POC and I was told that I would have to cancel that first by paying Goddamn Rs. 21000 which has already been expired for years. Anyway, I paid that amount too and still waiting to have my NICOP so that I can visit Pakistan. NADRA abuses people like us who have no connection and cannot do much other than waking up in the middle of the night to call their office and those people who attend the call, have no power or access to anything. This is what you call corruption at it worse!!

Recommend 0

Dr Mughal - UK

Jan 20, 2018 12:15am

@Ali Saeed I had exactly same problem and finally got my NICOP after 6 months of hassle by NADRA. I had to take help of one of my friend who physically went to NADRA office in Islamabad few times to sort it out. I too have to cancel POP which expired in June 2015 and paid RS 21000

Recommend 0

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