Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: NADRA has minted billions of rupees from Pakistanis working in other countries during the last 15 years for issuing NICOP cards. NADRA issues NICOP to Pakistanis of two categories, those holding citizenship of other countries and those who go abroad in connection for work.

NICOP of the first kind is issued to those Pakistanis who go abroad on Pakistani passports and with the passage of time acquire citizenship of their host country. The NICOP card is issued to prevent them from needing a visa whenever they wish to visit Pakistan.

The Pakistanis who go abroad for work have to get protector insurance for themselves and a NADRA-issued NICOP is necessary for protector insurance. No other country or government accepts NICOP, and the fee against this card amounts to Rs 4,725. Previously this fee used to be around Rs 9,000.

It is pertinent to mention here that 60 percent of these Pakistanis are recruited in the labour sector, and they do labour related jobs in the Gulf States. NICOP (which is of no value in other countries) is being sold to them and Rs 2,000 is charged.

When contacted senior officials of NADRA told Daily Times that this was to collect information as to how many Pakistanis have gone abroad. Six questions were asked by Daily Times and it soon became clear that NADRA had stolen billions of rupees at the rate of Rs 2,000 per card from overseas Pakistanis under this law from people doing labour jobs in other countries. NADRA operates without any check and balance, from higher authorities, and it must be asserted that it stops inconveniencing its own citizens.