In Karachi, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended four former employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) over their alleged involvement in issuing counterfeit computerized national identity cards (CNICs).
According to the FIA's statement, these employees, stationed at the Islamabad Mega Centre, were reportedly responsible for providing fake CNICs to foreigners between 2019 and 2020. The arrested individuals allegedly registered Afghan citizens under the guise of laborers within the family tree through illicit biometric registrations linked to the Ehsaas program.
The FIA elaborated that the suspects unlawfully utilized the biometrics of daily wage laborers and substance abusers, registering them as the fathers of Afghan citizens. The agency added that the accused received substantial sums of money in exchange for issuing these fraudulent CNICs. This development occurred during a crackdown initiated by the interim government against holders of forged Computerized National Identity Cards.
Earlier in November, NADRA revoked over 18,000 illegal CNICs as part of its efforts to combat the unauthorized issuance of identity cards and address cybersecurity concerns at its centers. The authority, in a statement, acknowledged various internal and external factors contributing to the proliferation of counterfeit CNICs.
