KARACHI: In an important development, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday detained a Nadra official. He faces charges of issuing false identification cards to Afghan nationals living in Karachi.
Raids Lead to Arrests
According to the FIA spokesman, a raid was carried out in the Metroville SITE locality. During the raid, two Afghans were taken into custody. They were found in illegal possession of “Pakistani ID cards.” Further investigation revealed that a Nadra employee named Furqan Ahmed Khan Durrani had helped issue CNICs to the Afghans.
Durrani was apprehended separately in another raid in Karachi’s Nursery locality. According to the FIA press release, the suspects are being investigated under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Authorities ordered a three-day remand of the suspects. However, it is not clear whether the Nadra official was included in the remand list.
Background and Ongoing Efforts
In September 2023, the government launched the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP). As a result, more than 1.82 million Afghan citizens returned to their country. In 2024, Nadra, in partnership with the FIA, discovered a scam involving the issuance of CNICs to illegal residents.
Investigations revealed that five Nadra officials were behind the scam.
