ISLAMABAD - National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chief Monday informed the Senate panel that the authority was developing a system to resolve the issue of blocking of CNICs once for all.

Chairman Nadra Usman Yousif Mubin informed the Senate Interior Committee that new SOPs were being formed under which no CNIC would be blocked unless solid evidence is present that the card holder is a non-national.

He said the Nadra had so far blocked 375,000 CNICs of suspected persons from all provinces.

Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that 56 percent of Baloch population in Balochistan was unregistered due to which large part of Baloch population was not included in the ongoing population census.

He further told the committee that over four million foreign nationals in Balochistan have become part of the population. He accused that some political parties were also supporting them. “Some of the MPAs and the MNAs are also involved in attesting blank CNIC forms”, he said.

Chairman committee Senator Rehman Malik asked for a strict action against those involved in fake verification of the CNICs. He censured Nadra for their lethargic attitude in unblocking the CNICs. He said that no one should be victimised on this pretext.

The committee directed the Nadra chairman to provide province-wise details about the blocked CNICs to the committee during the next meeting.

The meeting also discussed amendment in ‘The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017’ and ‘The Pakistan Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2017’ introduced by Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati.

Malik while commenting on the proposed ‘The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2017’ said that no shelter should be provided to any criminal on gender basis or for any other reason.

Sajid Kiyani, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad, stated that there is no effective legislation against those who get false FIR registered. He said during 2016, a total of 7,034 FIRs were registered. The SSP stated, “If we do not register FIR then it is registered through court.”

Malik said those policemen who lodge fake FIRs must be made accountable through law. Malik also took serious notice of abduction of Nawab Ali Laghari, former advisor Sindh goverment and a close aide to Asif Ali Zardari, and directed the Islamabad police to submit a detailed report to the committee in this regard within a week.

The committee also took notice of missing of Lt Col (retd) Mohammad Habib who has gone missing from Nepal-India border while visiting Nepal for a job interview. Malik directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a comprehensive report to the committee on the issue in the next meeting.