500 former officers having "secret information" surrendered their citizenship

On Wednesday, the chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Tariq Malik, revealed to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that 500 officers with “sensitive” information had given up their citizenship and relocated themselves abroad after they retired from service.

PAC chief said that the officers holding dual citizenship might be demoted. The PAC which met with MNA Noor Alam Khan in the chair, sorted the list of the officers who had relinquished their citizenship. In the meeting between Noor Alam and Tariq Malik, Tariq Malik enquired about the selection procedure for hiring the NADRA Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa director general.

In the meeting, he said, “it was a sensitive position as K-P bordered Afghanistan.” Later, the PAC chief ordered the termination of NADRA K-P DG from his position. PAC Chief Noor Alam instructed that the list of the names of NADRA employees who had been fired and then were later restored be handed over to the PAC.

According to the NADRA chairman, 43 people were expelled from the organization for corruption, and he was personally investigating the cases of 2,600 employees. The committee also requested a list of the 380 Afghans deported from Dubai whose Pakistani passports had been recovered. Moreover, the chairman of the committee questioned how long Pakistan would house the Afghan migrants. He also added, “They have been living in the country for decades and chant slogans against Pakistan,” He also said that “mistakes had been made in the past and questioned why the Afghan refugees were not restricted to their camps.

One more committee member, Shahida Akhtar Ali, said that Pakistan, too, had Afghans from the third generation. She added that “they were sitting in front of the press club in Islamabad, and the panel should be informed about the progress of the investigation in this connection”. Afghan refugees should be sent back to their country, Barjees Tahir, another committee member.

The interior secretary accepted that the country’s plans for the Afghan refugees were unsatisfactory. Whereas the afghan refugees have spread across the country, they are still required to follow the instructions. Noor stated that “they had served the Afghan refugees for 40 years, and now they should go back to their country or remain confined to their camps”.

Likewise, Pakistani national identity cards had been issued to the Afghan refugees and this case should be investigated. Saleem Mandviwalla, a senator member said, “Those Afghans, who had rioted during the cricket match in Sharjah, had Pakistani passports. He inquired what action needs to be taken against them”. Moreover, it is also decided in the meeting that Afghan refugees should be limited to their camps and their businesses should be banned. He added that Afghans are also involved in the crimes happening in Karachi these days.

The ministry has been given a month to take action toward this goal, according to the head of the PAC. The interior secretary claimed that due to international regulations, the Afghan refugees could not be sent back. He continued, “These issues will be raised with the UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]”.

According to the NADRA chairman, the POR (proof of registration cards) were given to the Afghan refugees, and their biometric data was verified when they traveled to Balochistan’s border regions.

The chairman said, “Many Afghan refugees possessed Pakistani identity cards”. This was a sensitive matter and if the PAC chairman had any details about it, he should share them with his department, replied the NADRA chairman