Nadra Chairman Lt General Munir Afsar informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior that the cost of identity cards would need to increase if additional offices were established. During the briefing, he noted that Nadra lacks facilities in 61 tehsils across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The committee, chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz and meeting for the second day, learned that 26 National Registration Centres (NRCs) and three mega NRCs are operational in Karachi. Plans are to add one more NRC and four mega NRCs next year.
Discussing security, Lt Gen Afsar highlighted that Nadra monitors hundreds of individuals daily to prevent data leaks and unauthorized ID card issuances. He reported that six employees, including a grade-19 officer, were terminated due to their involvement in a data breach affecting approximately 2.7 million citizens from 2019 to 2023.
A joint investigation team has been investigating the breach since March and has identified Nadra officers in Karachi, Multan, and Peshawar as participants in the data theft. Over the past five years, Nadra has dismissed 202 employees and 60 officers.
Revenue for Nadra increased from Rs23.55 billion in 2019-20 to Rs57 billion in 2023-24.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Ahmad Ishaque Jehangir briefed the committee on human smuggling networks recently exposed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. These networks deceive individuals with promises of jobs abroad.
Furthermore, the committee reviewed the “Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024” and instructed the ministry to incorporate a provision for filing an FIR against Discos and employees implicated in overbilling. The members advised that the bill should clearly define electricity usage and theft categories, distinguishing between residential, commercial, and industrial users.
