ISLAMABAD: National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has received over 13,000 complaints where citizens pointed out aliens in their family trees (family record) since inception of CNIC re-verification drive launched from July 1, 2016.
Minister for Interior Affairs Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was informed during a meeting held here on Monday to review NADRA’s ongoing Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) re-verification drive that one third of these are confirmed aliens. Similarly, the response towards Aliens Reporting Helpline of NADRA has also been encouraging.
Nisar, who chaired the meeting, was also informed by the authority that on basis of information received so far on the helpline more than 50 cases have been referred to NADRA Vigilance Cell for re-verification and further scrutiny.
The minister termed the overwhelming response of citizens in ongoing CNIC re-verification drive as encouraging and said that active participation from citizens highlights the importance of this national security drive and also promises its success.
He was also informed that even before the start of NADRA’s SMS service over 400,000 citizens have checked their family tree (family record) through sending SMS on their own. A six months CNIC re-verification process would continue across Pakistan as part of the national security initiative launched on the directions of the Interior Minister to cleanse NADRA’s database from aliens holding Pakistani CNICs and Passports.
The meeting was attended by the Interior Secretary, Interior Special Secretary, NADRA Chairman and senior officials of the ministry. Citizens can text their CNICs by sending an SMS on 8008, and in response NADRA will send a complete family tree of the individual from where they can verify their family members’ record.
NADRA has been specifically ordered by the minister to make CNIC re-verification drive simple and smooth for the citizens to make it a successful, result oriented drive for achieving the target of removing aliens from NADRA’s database.
The authority is running a multi-pronged strategy which includes data analysis schemes for the verification including across the board fraud detection and mathematical modeling, utilisation of PTA’s data for the identification of aliens who have managed to get Pak-identity in the past, amnesty scheme, establishment of the helpline and the family tree intrusion detection through SMS.
Nisar appreciated the role that media is playing in the CNIC drive and said that greater awareness of the masses through media would positively pay back to make the campaign a success. He reiterated that the CNIC re-verification drive was a national security drive, aimed at cleansing NADRA’s database from all aliens who had managed to get themselves registered as Pakistanis using various means.
The minister said that the re-verification of CNICs across Pakistan was no doubt a difficult task but it was vital for ensuring security of the state. He said that the drive would create win-win situation for the state and therefore nothing can hinder the authority to complete the task within the stipulated period.
Over NADRA’s call centre, which has already started operating for receiving complaints from the citizens over alien’s identification, the minister pointed out, “Secrecy of callers should remain paramount in drive since citizens would be disposing their national duty by providing information to the state institutions over aliens holding Pakistani CNICs and passports.
Meanwhile, Nisar also approved the nationalisation of the three Cessna planes and their inclusion to the Ministry of Interior’s Air Wing strength for counter terrorism and anti-narcotics operational duties. These Cessna planes were previously funded for operational duties for Law Enforcement Agencies through the US government.
He pointed out that changing security paradigms demanded further strengthening of the air wing of the ministry and therefore directed the air wing to put up proposals for strengthening of its helicopter fleet post December 2017 – once the US funding for existing fleet ends.
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