Former NADRA employees booked for stealing sensitive data

ISLAMABAD: Separate cases were registered against two former employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for allegedly stealing sensitive records of the agency.

A former deputy chairman and a deputy director of the authority have been named in the First Information Report (FIRs) on a complaint lodged by NADRA HQ Chief of Staff, Col (r) Tahir Maqsood Khan

The former employees were booked after incidents of thefts from NADRA Headquarters were reported to the Secretariat police in Islamabad.

The case against the former deputy chairman says he stole sensitive information of the authority, resulting in termination of his services some time ago.

“He took with him some sensitive information and other belongings of the authority,” states the FIR.

The case registered against the former deputy director says the official worked in the finance department and stole sensitive financial information along with laptops, flash drives and workstation.

According to police, both the former officials were booked under Pakistan Penal Code’s Article 380.

According to the FIRs, the former workers were repeatedly asked to return the records and were also issued a warning.

“There is a strong possibility that the authority’s sensitive financial records and data may be used in the wrong way,” warns the complaint.

Dishing in on the matter, a NADRA official said that both the officers were sacked in 2017 over the misuse of power and corruption.

NADRA spokesperson Faiq Ali said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was also approached by NADRA and a complaint was also lodged there.

The incident came days after the authority was accused of providing sensitive information to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ahead of general elections.

However, a spokesperson for NADRA had said the allegations of corruption are fabricated and baseless, adding that the authority had a limited role in conducting elections.

Moreover, the top guns of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had rejected the allegation hurled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Election Commission of Pakistan regarding the sharing of sensitive information.