The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a high-profile case against former chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Tariq Malik, and 12 other senior officers over alleged financial irregularities worth millions of dollars in the authority’s smart card project.
The case, which includes serious allegations of corruption, was initiated following a complaint by Transparency International, which flagged questionable procurement practices and financial mismanagement in the multibillion-rupee smart ID card initiative.
According to the first information report (FIR), the suspects, including the chief project officer and other senior officials, are alleged to have committed grave violations of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) laws. These violations, the FIA claims, resulted in excessive and unjustified payments to a preferred company in the smart card procurement process.
The investigation revealed that NADRA paid significantly higher prices than market rates for the procurement of smart cards. Authorities suspect that the tendering process was manipulated multiple times to favour a specific vendor, causing substantial financial losses to the national exchequer.
Sources within the FIA said the case includes charges of criminal misconduct, abuse of authority, and deliberate misrepresentation in official procedures.
