National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), after taking over the charge of National Aliens Registration Authority (Nara), has enrolled around 3,000 illegal immigrants within the period of just 40 working days. This was stated by Director General Nadra, Sindh, Brigadier Zahid Hussain (Retd), at an informal meeting with the media persons, here on Wednesday.
He said that Nara before its merger had been able to register aliens not more than 0.12 million since 2001, while Nadra had successfully completed the registration process of around 3,000 aliens within 40 working days. Meanwhile, DIG Special Branch, Naeem Barokha, assured complete support to Nadra for aliens' registration. He said that they were planning to depute 100 more personnel from the special branch in Nara to facilitate the authority in the registration process.
He said that aliens' registration had become indispensable to improve law and order situation and would also help to figure out the exact number of aliens living in the country, especially in Karachi. Rough estimates suggest that around 2.8 million aliens from different nationalities are residing only in Karachi.
He also disclosed that identities of some 22 persons were still unconfirmed, who were killed in twin suicide blasts at Karsaz, when slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto arrived in the country after eight years of self-exile on October 18, 2007. The DIG further said that out of the 4,000 persons, who had so far been killed in different targeted incidents in Karachi, the identities of 600 to 700 persons still remained unidentified.
The reports of different investigation agencies also suggest that all major deadly attacks at sensitive installations were committed by aliens but none of them have so far been identified. Speaking on the occasion, Major Nehal (Retd), who is looking after Nara after its merger, was optimistic about registering a substantial number of aliens within the period of two to three years. He said that aliens, who were earlier hesitant to get themselves registered because of Nara's unfriendly attitude, were now approaching themselves for registration.