ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in written a reply to Senate rejected that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor had been in possession of Pakistani passport and National Identity Card while maintaining that the card had been issued to a man named Muhammad Wali, son of Shah Muhammad.
Ahsan apprised the house on Wednesday that the enquiry against the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials involved in issuing the fake NIC had been completed, and in the light of the report at least three officials had been handed a “major punishment” — removal from service. He further said that the judicial proceeding against the accused was underway.
However, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar—showing dissatisfaction with the minister’s assurances—said action had only been taken against lower-level NADRA employees.
He said, “This is not the solution to the problem”, adding that the government should investigate who gave the orders for the card to be issued, if it was not already doing so.
The Senate was further informed that a total of 65,003 ‘fake’ identity cards had been found circulating in the country, of which Punjab accounted for 20,865; Sindh for 15,579; Balochistan for 11,859; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 10,884; FATA for 3,834; Islamabad for 1,087; Azad Jammu Kashmir for 832; and Gilgit Baltistan for 63.
Proscribed Organisations
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry informed the upper house that a total of 65 organisations were on the government ‘proscribe list’ while six are under observation. Commenting on the changing of names by the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falaah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), he said the organisations changed their names to re-enter the mainstream, following which they had been included in Schedule 2.
“Taking action against proscribed organisations is the responsibility of the provincial governments,” he said, adding that “the ministry receives reports on the activities of these organisations, and it duly apprises the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and provincial governments of any concerning developments”.