RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions on Tuesday recommended to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to increase number of mobile registration vehicles in Federally Administration Tribal Areas (FATA) to ensure speedy registration of the people.

The committee which met with Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman in the chair also asked NADRA high-ups to take action against corrupt officials at NADRA Tank office and immediately transfer them. The committee also recommended NADRA to keep its offices in FATA open on Sundays for three months in-order to ensure registration of temporarily dislocated persons (TDPs) who are returning to their hometowns.

Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman said that assistant political agent should strictly monitor NADRA offices in FATA. He also issued directives to secretary interior and chairman NADRA to brief the committee during its next meeting about CINC registration and already issued CNICs. He also recommended setting up more offices of NADRA in FATA as rent of buildings in FATA is very less as compared to the other parts of the country.

A petitioner Saeed Anwar informed the committee that NADRA office Tank-II has been set up in government building and there is always huge rush of people there, due to which applicants face many problems. “At NADRA office Tank-II, corrupt officials do not issue token without taking bribe,” he said, adding those applicants who do not bribe NADRA officials wait in queues for hours. He further alleged that officials at NADRA take bribe up to Rs 60,000 from illiterate people who need domicile and other relevant documents. “I can provide videos and affidavits as proofs in this regard to the committee,” he further told the committee.

Anwar said that documents attested by the political agent are acceptable under the law but the NADRA officials force citizens to get their documents attested from sessions’ courts just to tease public.

On this, the chairman of the committee issued directives to NADRA high-ups and political administration to carry out inquiry in this regard.

Senator Taj Muhammad Afridi said that the facility of MAV should be provided to every agency and action should be taken against corrupt officials.

Senator Sitara Ayaz and Khanzada Khan suggested setting more NADRA offices in rented buildings in FATA.

The NADRA officials informed the meeting that NADRA has registered 9,000 people through MRV during the last month and the authority has suspend several officials on charges of corruption across the country. He further said that authority will take strict action against officials at NADRA Tank-II office involved in corruption.