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PM directs Interior Division, NADRA to remove discrepancies in electoral rolls, rectification of block numbers

PM directs Interior Division, NADRA to remove discrepancies in electoral rolls, rectification of block numbers
October 2, 2021 Web Desk

Sohail Iqbal Bhatti

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of discrepancies in the electoral rolls and directed Interior Division and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to immediately undertake the exercise of removing discrepancies and rectification of block numbers.

According to documents, PM has given these directions during a meeting of the federal cabinet when the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs apprised that breakthrough with the opposition had been achieved as it has been agreed to constitute a ‘Joint Parliamentary Committee’ to discuss the electoral reforms.

Giving the weekly update to the Cabinet on electoral reforms, especially the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and extending the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs apprised that this significant development was agreed during the meeting of the parliamentary representatives from the treasury and opposition benches with the Speaker National Assembly. He also assured of meeting the set deadline of end-November in this regard.

It is relevant to mention here that a member of cabinet during the course of the cabinet meeting has also exhorted on the need to rectify the same by NADRA so that double registration and ghost votes could be eliminated.

According to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, as many as 200,000 computerised national identity cards (CNICs) fraudulently obtained by Afghan nationals have been cancelled. He said these cards had been issued to Afghan nationals on the basis of bogus documents, including fake birth certificates. The data of 1.5 million Afghan refugees was with Pa­k­istan and about 800,000 Afghan refugees were living in the country illegally, said Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

Reportedly, Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Tariq Malik has said that forty-Seven employees had been fired for creating fake identity cards.

Earlier, during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Affairs with Tariq Malik, Committee's chairman Senator Talha Mahmood had raised the issue of fake identity cards.

Senator Mahmood said that he has a list of 45 people whose blocked Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) were unblocked. He alleged that a NADRA employee unblocked the cards in exchange for a house.

Mahmood added that previously, fake identity cards were issued to people of Al-Qaeda.

In response, Malik said that upon the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, NADRA has been reorganised.

He added that he has received 87 cases of NADRA employees issuing fake identity cards and 47 of those employees have been dismissed already.