ISLAMABAD -  As the State Bank of Pakistan has categorically said that the main accused in rape and murder case of Zainab did not hold any bank account, the record of the National Database and Registration Authority reveals that the accused had two different identity numbers — a proof that alleged serial killer was unable to get opened an account in any commercial bank.

Under the standard operating procedure, commercial banks do not allow any person to open his/her account that has two identities in the Nadra record and the back-end data of any client, who desires to open an account, is verified online through a software from the Nadra, senior officials at the database authority aware of the procedure said.

The senior officials said that the issuance of two identities against the name of accused Imran Ali was actually a technical flaw and not any grave crime committed by him but this has got to be rectified in the Nadra record.

The Nadra record shows that the accused prior to getting a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), had obtained a child registration certificate (B Form) from the Nadra bearing number 35102-7566063-5. 

The CRC is a registration document used to register minors under the age of 18.

However, when the accused after attaining the age of 18 came to the Nadra authorities to get his CNIC, he did not inform about his B-Form and thus the NADRA issued him CNIC with  a new identity number (35102-7459834-7), — a law that has been found in a number of cases.

So, in the Nadra’s record, the CNIC of Imran Ali was considered “duplicate”.

Under the procedure, the Nadra issues the same number to any CNIC holder that of his/her B-Form.

Any CRC holder does not issue a new identity number when he gets the CNICs but his CNIC number remains the same as that of the CRC.

Under the law, banks verify any applicant’s data about his citizenship, while using the Nadra Verisys – an online system to verify any citizen’s nationality and other family details, before opening any bank account in a bid to avoid any fraud.

All commercial banks operating in Pakistan have access to nominal data about citizens through the Nadra Verisys.

Any citizen whose CNIC is marked as duplicate due to this flaw, is considered unable to open bank account, get passport or avail other service where the Nadra data is needed for verification.

A senior Nadra official said that when any duplicate identity number holder approaches the authority, his/her one identity number is cancelled after receiving some fee.

He said that this was actually a flaw on the part of the Nadra system as some citizens were not aware that they had to inform about B-Form to the registration authority.