SAHIWAL: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ahmed Kamal Maan sealed the Pakpattan office of the National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) arms branch for verifying 37 fake arms licences that were issued in other districts of the province.

Most of the fake licences had been issued from Mianwali district, but were verified through the Nadra arms branch, Pakpattan office whose record was also reportedly confiscated.

Sources said the arms branch personnel were also involved in the verification of people who were issued smart licence cards.

Sources in the DC office told Dawn that a first information report (FIR) under sections 420, 465 and 471 of the PPC had been registered against 37 people at Farid Nagar police station on the complaint of Pakpattan Additional Deputy Commissioner General Qudratullah. The Nadra Regional Office had initiated an internal inquiry into the incident and against the personnel suspected of involvement.

Reportedly, members of a criminal racket in Lahore, Bahawalpur, Chakwal and Mianwali first got fake arms licences and later got them verified from other districts of Punjab.

Dawn learnt from sources that for countering the fake verification practice, Nadra had ordered that arms licences would be verified from the same district where they were issued from. Verification from other districts will not be acceptable.

DC Maan said investigations were under way to expose other members of the network.

ROBBERY: Four dacoits looted Rs1.4 million from a Lahore-based brick kiln owner near village 10/L-1, Harappa city on Wednesday noon.

Muhammad Arshad had planned to buy a piece of land from Muhammad Asif near Harappa city. On Wednesday, he along with his manager, Muhammad Bashir, was coming to Sahiwal via Harappa canal to pay the initial amount for the land.

When they reached near village 10/L1, four unidentified suspects on a motorcycle intercepted their car and snatched Rs1.4m and four mobile phones from them. The men then fled from the spot.

Harappa police registered a first information report.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2020