National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman, Usman Yousaf Mobin, has said that the illegal Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) attained by Afghans, while claiming to the family of Pakistani nationals, have been blocked following reports by credible sources.

“There is an issue of about 150,000 CNICs in the country”, said Mobin while highlighting problems faced by the Pashtuns for three reasons.

• Pashtuns pretended to be Afghans for relief funds and then returned back to Pakistan
• Local Pashtuns helped Afghans get Pakistani citizenship by showing them as family
• A number of complaints have been registered by so-called Pakistani relatives against the Afghans

The Pashtuns protested against NADRA in front of Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore, complaining that the regulatory authority does not listen to their problems, terming them as unnecessary. The protesters were dispersed when NADRA chairman called their representatives for a meeting and listened to their issues.

To resolve the issues faced by Pashtuns, the NADRA chairman has advised the following measures:

Four special counters will be established to resolve the issues of Pashtuns’ CNICs, and they will work 24/7. Priority will be given to resolve the CNIC problems of Pashtuns and to provide B-Forms [child registration certificate] to the Pashtun children on these counters.

During his media talk at the NADRA headquarters, Mobin was asked about the e-voting for the overseas Pakistanis to which he replied that NADRA has developed the system while also mentioning that the RTS never failed post-General Elections 2018 in this url.

Published in Express Tribune