Indian allegations on Uri attack meant to defame Pakistan: Nisar

• Security czar says India itself doesn’t have any evidence then how will Pakistan help it in probe
• Minister says E-passport system to be introduced during next three months

Amid searing tensions with India, Pakistan’s security czar on Friday said India should be held accountable for hurling “baseless” allegations on Pakistan over its alleged involvement in the recent attack on army base in Uri area of occupied Kashmir.

“India itself does not have any (material) evidence regarding the Uri attack so how will Pakistan help (the Modi government) in carrying out an investigation,” the interior minister said in his reply to a question whether Pakistan would assist its arch-rival in investigating the attack.

“India had accused Pakistan to defame it” and to divert the attention of the world community from its state terrorism in the held valley, added Nisar, who was addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

“When Indians themselves have no proof, then what kind of action can Pakistan take? They have only levelled an accusation and that too only to defame Pakistan. And there can be no bigger proof than this (of their intentions),” asserted the minister.

“We have not placed any restrictions or censorship on the media here. It is them (Indians) who have placed censorship. Why? Because when their lies were exposed, they had to enforce censorship,” Nisar went on to say, referring to reports involving Indian Defence Ministry’s orders to media to ‘pre-verify’ news related to the Indian army.

Indian Defence Ministry’s gag orders were reported after a leading Indian publication contradicted a DGMO Lt-Gen Ranbir Singh’s false claims that weapons recovered from the slain attackers bore Pakistani markings.

Nisar, to a question about India’s offer of citizenship to rebel Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti, said the offer had made it clear as to who was supporting terrorism. “It has substantiated the Indian prime minister’s statement of interference in Pakistan,” he said, and added Pakistan would contact Interpol to bring Bugti back to the country.

Briefing the reporters about the progress on re-verification of computerised national identity cards (CNICs), Nisar said that out of 60,000 dubious ID cards, 50,000 had been blocked so far. “We have verified around 82.5 million CNICs so far of which we blocked 60,000 during the past four months,” he added.

The minister further said that 2,000 fake passports had also been blocked, adding that 29,000 passports had been issued to foreigners.

According to Nisar, 18 NDARA officials had been identified for issuing fake CNICs of which eight have been arrested, seven others are on pre-arrest bail, and one is at large.

The minister also told the reporters that an E-passport system would be introduced in the country during the next three months. He said that NADRA centres would be set up in big cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Peshawar and Quetta, during the next five months. These centres would be later extended to the whole country, he added.

The minister said that a monitoring helpline of NADRA would be set up that would be directly supervised by the Ministry of Interior.