The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a former NADRA registration centre in-charge for his role in a scheme that supplied Pakistani identity cards and passports to foreign nationals, after Saudi authorities flagged suspicious passports submitted by Afghans.
The FIR states that Saudi officials handed over 12,096 ordinary Pakistani passports, submitted by Afghan nationals, to the Afghan embassy in Riyadh, which then passed them to the Pakistani embassy. Verification revealed that 7,613 of those passports were fraudulently obtained after the holders first secured Pakistani national identity cards.
According to the filing, officials from NADRA and Immigration and Passports colluded, gaining unauthorized access to NADRA's sensitive information system, bypassing controls and breaching registration policy.
Fake family records and the assistance of verifiers were reportedly used to present foreign nationals as Pakistani, with sources saying billions of rupees in bribes were paid to alter official records and create counterfeit family trees.
The FIR was lodged on October 14 at the FIA Counter Terrorism Circle in Quetta, under case number 01/2026. NADRA had previously lodged formal complaints, prompting inquiry No. E-51/2025 on December 19, 2025.
The investigation uncovered evidence against Munawar Ali, son of Muhammad Usman, a resident of Kali Ismail, Quetta. He formerly served as in-charge of NADRA Registration Centre BLN-MRV-41 under the regional head office in Quetta. The FIR accuses him of approving, processing and issuing identity cards for 31 foreign nationals for illicit financial gain.
Munawar Ali was taken into custody on October 14, 2026, received a five-day physical remand on October 15, and on October 20 a court granted a further six-day remand at the agency's request.
The case invokes the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, the NADRA Ordinance 2000, the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, the Foreigners Act 1946 and several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, noting that the alleged conduct harmed Pakistan's international reputation.
FIA sources said the investigation is being handled with the utmost seriousness. Investigators are probing irregularities in the national identity system, misuse of official records, and the issuance of identity cards and passports, as well as the involvement of other officials and facilitators. Sub-Inspector Zahid Gul is the investigating officer.
