Nadra ID for everyone but police

Nadra - the National Database and Registration Authority website says it enjoys international recognition for its “solutions for identification”. But the capital police think otherwise.

Dawn has learnt that their top officers have written to the federal interior ministry complaining that Nadra do not assist them in identifying criminals, terrorists and their victims. As a result investigations into criminal and terrorism cases get delayed, they alleged in the complaint sent through the Central Police Office.

A senior police officer confided on condition of anonymity that Nadra seldom responded to police requests for identification of wanted criminals. “That delays investigations and allows the criminals time to disappear,” he said. Even the suspects in the custody of police stood to gain benefit of doubt from such non-cooperation by Nadra.

Police investigators need to produce to trial courts evidence of fingerprints, CNICs details and photographs against the terrorist and criminals but the unprofessional attitude helped them avoid punishment. To prove his point, the officer said police sent 86 requests to Nadra in the past 13 months for the verification of the identity of criminals, terrorists and victims from their CNICs. “Nadra has responded to seven cases only so far that too under pressure from the victims of the criminals,” he said. Worse, five of the seven responses - two about fingerprints and three regarding verification of CNICs - proved negative as they provided someone else's details or said “not available”, the officer claimed.

Police sent 67 fingerprints of criminals to Nadra between January 2010 and February 2011 for detection and still waiting for the results of 65. Another five requests for determining the identity of five bodies found in different parts of Islamabad from their fingerprints went unheeded. Police had no choice but to bury the bodies as unclaimed. Likewise, details of eight of the 12 CNIC sent for verification are awaited. Two requests for identification through photographs similarly remain unmet. By: Munawar Azeem