ISLAMABAD - National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on Wednesday brushed aside all the allegations levelled against the security and safety of its database by the UK tabloid “The Sun” in its story titled “”Olympic terror visa racket” and claimed that no forgery was done in the ‘safe and secure’ system of the Authority.
On the other hand, the authorities in NADRA believe that Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik was responsible for the whole fiasco in Pakistan after “The Sun” published the story who blindly directed the authorities to arrest the officials of NADRA and passport office without conducting any internal inquiry just to get more media coverage.
An official of the NADRA wishing not to be named informed The Nation stating that Rehman Malik could not properly understand the broad based conspiracy against the country as well as NADRA and made the things worsen by announcing that 12 NADRA employees had been suspended for their alleged involvement in fake visa scam.
He said that the announcement to suspend the NADRA employees gave the impression that there was some kind of illegality on part of NADRA.
According to an official handout issued by the NADRA says that a thorough inquiry conducted by the Authority regarding the scam orchestrated by “The Sun” in its story what NADRA claimed ‘fake scam’ reveals that there was no fraud or illegal activity done in the issuance of Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport in the name of Muhammad Ali Asad, s/o Muhammad Anwar Siddique.
The Authority said that documentary and video evidence proved that Muhammad Ali Asad himself visited the NARDA registration centre for the renewal of his expired CNIC.
According to NADRA’s database, Muhammad Ali Asad, obtained a National Identity Card (NIC) number 35202-2660630-5 from NADRA on February 6th 2002.
He later immigrated to the UK and had been living there for the past 8-10 years. His UK Passport number 506486804 was issued on 24th Oct 2011 and has the same name and photograph as that of Muhammad Ali Asad had in NADRA’s record.
The passport bears a fake place and date of birth.
NADRA claims that Muhammad Ali Asad was picked by “The Sun” as undercover agent, who travelled to Pakistan on 8th July 2012.
NADRA further said that “he stayed at Avari Hotel, Lahore and booked a room from 8th July till 31st July 2012 at the rate of Rs 18,000 per day as rent. He went to NADRA office, Baghbanpura to get his photo updated against his own CNIC on 10th July, 2012 rather than getting someone else identity as claimed by “The Sun” story. His CNIC was updated after matching with his previous record held in database. After getting his CNIC modified, he processed for his machine readable passport (MRP) on 13th July 2012 that was delivered to him on 18th July 2012. Since the same person applied to renew his own ID card and for provision of a passport, nothing illegality was done on part of the Authority.”
NADRA has said that through the official handout that this latest evidence regarding the issue presented an altogether different story leaving no room for doubt that this was nothing but a despicable attempt to undermine the strength of Pakistan’s Computerised National Identity Card and passport issuance systems and an attempt to damage a government organisation and make the citizens lose faith in critical and sensitive operations of the country.
“Operational systems at NADRA are in place and are out of reach for any malicious activity. Each transaction is logged and complete audit trail is preserved. NADRA management has a zero tolerance policy towards any kind of breach of security and is fully committed to safeguard the National Database.” Apparently, it is concluded that this activity has been designed with a malicious intent to malign Pakistan and build case for any recurrence with reference to the international event like Olympics.
NADRA deplores all baseless accusations put forward on the security and safety of its database by this concocted and fictitious story and will use all possible avenues, in Pakistan and the UK, to bring the culprits of this fake scam to justice.