ISLAMABAD, Dec 18 (DNA): Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed on Friday said that 50 new National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) centres would be opened across the country particularly in far-flung areas to facilitate the people.

Talking to media persons at NADRA Headquarters here the minister said

that provision of various facilities to the common people was

government’s top priority adding that NADRA centres would be extended to

the far-flung areas of the country.

He said it was decided to issue ordinary computerized national identity

card (CNIC) to the poor people free of cost within 15 days. “NADRA will

issue the first CNIC free of cost within fifteen days, instead of forty

days,” he said.

The minister said passport and ID cards offices would be opened in all

the embassies of Pakistan under the supervision of NADRA and with the

support the Foreign Office. He said the number of NADRA mobile vans

would also be increased to 300 to facilitate the people residing in far

off areas of the country.

Sheikh Rasheed said the government was fully committed to resolving

problems being faced by the oversees Pakistanis. He assured that issues

of overseas Pakistani would be resolved on priority.

To a question, the minister said currently 16,000 employees including

3,000 on contract were working in NADRA. No contract employee would be

laid off, he said.

To a question, he said that there were around 700,000 registered Afghan

people in the country.

Regarding alliance of opposition parties Pakistan Democratic Movement

(PDM), the minister said that it seemed that PDM would take part in the

coming Senate elections. Senate elections could be held any time during

February 12 to March 12, he added.

Imran Khan, he said, was going nowhere and the government under his

leadership would complete its five-year constitutional tenure.

To a query, the minister said currently Pakistan has no agreement with

the United Kingdom for extradition of the criminals.

Earlier, the minister was briefed by Chairman NADRA Usman Mobeen about

the function of the organization. DNA

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