KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency on Wednesday arrested another official of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for his alleged involvement in fake computerised national identity cards (CNICs) case.

An FIA spokesperson said that after the latest arrest of Deputy Director Ghulam Ali Baber the number of held officials, agents and foreigners in the fake CNIC scam reached 19 against whom seven cases had so far been registered.

He said that the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, Karachi lodged an FIR against the held deputy director, assistant director Ghulam Mohammed Shah and ‘foreigner’ Mohammed Moin on a written complaint of a Nadra official, who stated that in connivance of the two officers, a CNIC was issued through fraud and contrary to facts.

The spokesperson said according to Nadra record, Mohammed Arshad and his wife Zehra Ansari were born in 1970 and 1978, respectively, and they solemnised Nikah (marriage) in 2006 while the suspect, Moin, who was shown in the couple’s family tree was born in 1997 which was completely ‘unnatural’.

The aggrieved family told the FIA that Moin had nothing to do with their family but his name was included in their family tree.

The official said that after arrest of one suspect, efforts were underway to arrest two remaining suspects of the case.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2021