The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has terminated Director General Zulfiqar Ahmed after an investigation confirmed his degrees were forged.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), at NADRA’s request, conducted a probe and discovered discrepancies in Ahmed’s credentials. His MBA degree was signed by an individual who was not the president of George Mason University at the time, and his BBA degree referenced a college name that had already been changed by the issuance date, as reported by Express News.
“The HEC’s findings aligned with NADRA’s initial information,” a source close to the investigation revealed.
The Islamabad High Court upheld the HEC’s decision to revoke the equivalence of Ahmed’s degrees. Subsequently, NADRA issued a show-cause notice to Ahmed, who failed to provide a satisfactory defense. Based on the court’s ruling and Ahmed’s inability to refute the allegations, NADRA’s chairman initiated disciplinary action, resulting in his dismissal.
NADRA Blocks Over 71,000 CNICs in Five Years
In related developments, NADRA disclosed that 71,459 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) were blocked over the past five years.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest number of blocked CNICs at 25,981, followed by Balochistan with 20,583. Punjab saw 13,564 cards blocked, and Sindh had the fewest at 9,677. Other regions included Islamabad (1,370), Gilgit-Baltistan (228), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (446).
Out of the blocked CNICs, 44,460 have been restored after verification, while investigations into 13,618 cases remain ongoing.
The Sindh government has called for an amendment to the Citizenship Act, citing the challenges citizens face with the verification process and the issues surrounding blocked IDs.
