The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested four people, two of whom are senior officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), for issuing fake identity cards to Afghan nationals, the agency has said in a statement on Tuesday.
An FIA Karachi Zone press release said the arrests were done through a coordinated operation by law enforcement agencies, based on shared intelligence.
The suspects are Assistant Director of NADRA Inam Ul Haq, Deputy Assistant Director of NADRA Fayyaz Ahmed, a NADRA chowkidar and Muhammad Umar Shah, a private agent.
Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects were involved in manipulating official documents and other illegal activities, allowing the issuance of fake identity documents for Afghan nationals, according to the FIA.
Initial indications are that the network has ties to terrorist elements, though further investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of those ties, the agency added.
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During the operation, officials recovered important records and other incriminating material, officials said.
Investigators have since broadened the investigation, and are hoping for a number of additional arrests and disclosures as the investigation unfolds.
The FIA said that everyone involved in the network, including facilitators and key operators, will be held to account by the law.
In the wake of the commitment to national security, the agency has stated that it will keep cooperating with other police institutions in combating terrorism, giving a blow to the activities of organised criminal networks and also reducing the issuance of fake identity documents.
The case comes as part of an initiative by Pakistani government officials to crack down on fake national documents and those accused of using government institutions to carry out illegal activities.
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