Lieutenant General Munir Afsar, the Chairman of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), revealed to senators on Wednesday that certain officials had been responsible for the issuance of counterfeit Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).
Under the leadership of Senator Mohsin Aziz, the Senate Committee on Interior addressed various issues, including the creation of fake CNICs, the unauthorized availability of citizens' family data in the black market, and the issuance of multiple SIM cards linked to a single CNIC, which are being used in illicit activities.
The Nadra Chairman informed the lawmakers that approximately 84 officials had been suspended as a result of these actions. However, he acknowledged that some employees had managed to avoid legal consequences due to the absence of legislation dealing with privacy matters. The Senate panel recommended implementing modern measures to tackle these challenges.
In a separate development, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), apprehended five agents of a mobile phone company franchisee situated on Kohat Road in Peshawar. These individuals were reportedly involved in the issuance of illegal SIM cards using Afghan passports.