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A spokesman of the ministry said that JIT had been formed on the directions of Senior Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik and it comprised representative of ISI, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Director General Passports and Immigration and Deputy Chairman National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra). Additional Director General of the Federal Investigation Agnecy (FIA) Khalid Qureshi, who also holds the acting charge of DG FIA, will head JIT.
The spokesman said Malik had directed the ministry to place the names of all 12 Nadra employees allegedly involved in the issuance of fake CNICs in the names of fake persons under suspension. “It has also been directed by the Senior Advisor to the PM to place the name of private person Abid Chaudhry for allegedly running a racket and the management of the private traveling company, Dream Land Travels, Lahore, on ECL,” he added. He said that Rehman Malik had ordered for the registration of cases against all the accused including Nadra employees and their early arrest.
Interior Ministry has directed the JIT to submit its initial investigation reports within three days.
Meanwhile, Chairman Nadra Tariq Malik on the directions of Advisor to PM has suspended 12 Nadra employees including GM Nadra, Lahore Region, on the suspicions of their alleged involvement in fraud. Data entry operators and photographers of Nadra are among the suspended Nadra employees besides others.
According to the terms of reference of JIT, the JIT will probe whether any racket was involved or not in the alleged visa scam. It will investigate the involvement of Nadra employees as well as of Director General of Passports and Immigration in the issuance of fake CNICs and passports in the names of dead persons or those whose ID cards had expired etc. JIT will mention the remedial measures in its report.
Agencies add: Pakistani sports officials Monday rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.
The Sun tabloid said it had busted a racket involving a politician in Lahore that could have given access to the London Games as part of the Pakistani contingent in return for a million rupees ($10,000).
Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed the Sun’s claims.
“These are baseless reports,” Shah told AFP. “This is an attempt to malign Pakistan. Even if someone gets a passport he cannot enter the Olympic Village without an Olympic accreditation card.” The Sun said its undercover reporter was offered the chance to go to the Olympics posing as an official member of the Pakistani contingent on a two-month visa.
Pakistan’s 39-strong delegation — minus Shah — is already in London and consists of 23 athletes and 16 officials. Shah justified the number of officials. “Hockey has at least six officials which are under the rules and then we have physicians and other coaches who are genuine members of Pakistan’s contingent,” said Shah.
Pakistan Olympic Association chief Arif Hasan was already in London and discussing the matter with the Pakistan High Commission, said Shah.
Following reports in the Sun, British Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokesman said: “My understanding is that we are confident that we have the checks in place and the arrangements in place to deal with these issues.
The spokesman added that the delegation lists for the Olympic Games are very tightly controlled and when it comes to Pakistan “we have had highly-trained staff based in Pakistan dealing with the authorities there to deal with this.”
Highly-trained British agents have been in Pakistan working with authorities there to prevent security breaches during the Olympic Games in London, Downing Street said Monday.
Pakistan to probe Olympic visa racket
