Daily Times

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Thursday announced the arrest of six accused including two officers of NADRA for their alleged involvement in issuing fake national identity cards to terrorists, members of banned outfits, illegal immigrants and others.

Addressing a news conference at his office, FIA Sindh Zone-1 Director Amir Farooqui said that FIA, along with the country’s premier intelligence agency, exposed a big tempering in NADRA record and involvement of senior level officers and agents in the heinous crime.

He said that some NADRA officers, particularly from Sindh, were recruited by enemy agencies for issuance of fake NICs to terrorists and members of nationalist groups and added that about 3 to 4 million such fake NICs had been issued.

He said all those NICs had been traced and the process of blocking those was also underway. An Indian national named Imran Ali was issued a fake NIC who was also involved in the Safoora Goth terror incident, he added.

Amir Farooqui said fake NICs were also used in elections for casting votes. Proposals have been presented to the government for preventing such crimes in future, he added.

He said arrested culprits included NADRA’s two assistant directors Afroz and Ashfaq Ahmed Jamali and an agent Khayal. Besides, three Afghan nationals had also been arrested by FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle.

In another action, FIA arrested an accused affiliated with MQM London involved in money laundering from UK and Europe to Pakistan by using Bitcoin and Crypto currency. The money was laundered through smuggling psychotropic drugs to the UK and Europe. The money had also been used for terror financing.

Arrested accused Noman Siddiqui was paid for a bomb blast attack in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area in December 2018 on MQM’s event.

Amir Farooqui told the media that FIA Counter Terrorism Wings’ two Inspectors were dealing for Noman’s release on payment of Rs. 100 million. Both Inspectors have been apprehended, he added.