ISLAMABAD: The country’s top registration body has been blocking 225 CNICs per day since September 2013, official documents revealed on Thursday, whilst raising questions over transparency of this drive which created chaos among thousands of citizens whose genuine cards were cancelled.
The Nadra has blocked estimated 0.25 million CNICs across the country where Balochistan was taking the lead over other provinces where authorities blocked around 80,000 CNICs during this period. Over 59,000 cards were cancelled in Karachi, majority of them were believed to be foreigners.
Since the National Re-Verification Programme (NR-VP) started many political parties/groups have threatened employees of the Nadra to process their illegal CNICs while thousands of citizens were complaining that their genuine CNICs were cancelled.
“Activists of political parities/groups [PkMAP, JUI-F, ANP and Qaumi Wattan Party (Sherpao) are planning agitation as a last resort to create law and order situation with a view to compelling higher authorities to accept their mala fide demands of getting illegal CNICs and getting posting/transfer of Nadra officials on their own choice. Nadra’s employees at Killa Abdullah, Pishin and Quetta received threats,” reads a confidential communication between Nadra regional headquarter and office of the Nadra chairman in Islamabad.
“Political parties/groups are patronising aliens and illegal immigrants/refugees to augment their vote bank and do not reconcile with the Nadra processing/verification procedure,” reads the communication, also exclusively obtained by The News. The Data Acquisition Units of Nadra at Awaran, Khuzdar and Ketch have also been burnt by political parties’ workers; official communication further revealed that many types of equipment of Nadra offices at Qilla Abdullah have also been stolen. Snatching of weapons and vehicles at offices of Quetta and Killa Abdullah became a routine matter.
Senior officials familiar with this development told The News that Director General NR-VP Mirajam Khan was being threatened by many political parties’ workers for not processing their illegal cards of their voters. Even several legislators particularly from Balochistan have sought written apology from Mirajam on complaining to Nadra chairman against them.
“They (MPs from Balochistan) desired a written statement from DG [NR-VP] that he had never succumbed to any pressure from PkMAP during his [DG NR-VP’s] tenure and previous record also shows no sign of pressure from them or their representatives. Balochistan Assembly speaker desired Nadra to reply within a week period otherwise they would raise this issue in the National Assembly,” reads a letter written by Nadra Quetta Regional Office to office of Nadra Chairman Usman Mobin.
Officials also revealed that interference of workers of PkMAP, JUI-F, ANP and Qaumi Watan Party (Sherpao) in Nadra’s CNIC processing in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the rise especially in the areas under their voters. But political parties denied the allegations being leveled by Nadra officials. “We never influence Nadra officials for processing illegal CNICs of their workers — all allegations against us are baseless —we only request sometime for processing of legal CNICs of their voters,” said MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai of PkMAP.
Officials also revealed that thousands of genuine CNICs have also been blocked due to certain reasons which are raising several questions on transparency of this drive. However to resolve this issue, the government has formed around 92 committees at various Nadra centers across the country to hear complaints of those whose genuine CNICs were blocked. Senior officials of Nadra and Ministry of Interior neither did confirm nor did deny the development despite several attempts this correspondent made in past four days.
Nadra blocked estimated 53,000 CNICS in Peshawar, 35,000 in Quetta, 20,000 in Killa Saifullah, 10,000 in Rawalpindi, 9,000 in Pishin, 6,000 each in Loralai and Mardan, 5,000 each in Charsadda, Nowshera and Chaghi, 4,000 each in Lahore and Islamabad, 3,000 in Lower Dir and 2,500 were blocked in Swabi during this period, revealed official data exclusively obtained by Geo News.
Over 2,500 foreign nationals, who held fake CNICs, voluntarily surrendered their travel documents. Foreigners belonged to India, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Under the fresh revivification drive, Nadra had referred 41,134 CNICs to zonal offices to ascertain their status where 13,315 CNICs were marked to intelligence agencies. The people have reported over 11,000 aliens where Nadra officials marked over 10,000 CNICs for their national status, revealed the official data.
—Originally published in The News