Punjab government’s Information Technology (IT) guru Umer Saif is being tipped as new chairman of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
Currently, Saif is the chairman of Punjab IT Board and also holds the office of vice chancellor University of Information Technology.
His deep association with the Punjab government establishes that either he is very close to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Sharif brothers or they are highly impressed with his expertise in the world of IT.
According to reports, Saif is interested in holding the chairmanship of NADRA and has also applied for the same.
Saif holds a PhD degree in IT from Cambridge University and a post-doctorate qualification from MIT where he also taught for a while before returning to Pakistan. Given his academic credentials and experience he is being deemed fit for the post of NADRA chairman.
Umer is the son of Col (R) Saif and has a life-long association with the Sharifs. “He is very close to the Sharifs,” disclosed one PML-N leader, adding that Saif has also been managing the security of the Sharifs.
Saif claims that he, along with Anusha Rehman, was in charge of PML-N’s social media campaign.
If Saif is appointed as NADRA chairman, his close association with the Sharifs could spell trouble for them, with the opposition questioning the true intentions behind the decision.
Former NADRA chairman Tariq Malik was forced to resign after pressure from the Interior Ministry. His relations with the government turned sour when his stance on the voters’ verification issue was not to the liking of the government.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, is actively pressing the government to probe into its allegations of rigging and fraud in the May 2013 polls. It is believed that if the verification process commences in response to the PTI complaints, NADRA would have an important role to play. This could be one reason for the PML-N leadership to appoint a confidante as chairman of NADRA.