Pakistan oppn leaders question Imran Khan govt on recruitment of retired officers to NADRA

Pakistan's opposition leaders on Wednesday questioned PM Imran Khan's government about the recruitment of retired officers of the armed forces to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

A written reply was submitted to the Senate by the Ministry of Interior stating that 13,997 employees are working in NADRA, and no retired or present service employee of the armed forces is working in NADRA on deputation, according to the News International.

During the session, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami said that the response was "incomplete" and demanded to know how many such individuals had been employed at the database authority.

"That a large number of young people are looking for jobs and there are none for them," he said.

Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Azam Nazir Tarar said that he had received information that army officers are working in NADRA as directors and deputy directors.

Tarar questioned the treachery on what period and in what numbers were retired military officers recruited and whether these military officers were recruited in NADRA on quota or on merit.

Further, the PML-N senator questioned additional qualifications of the retired officers recruited in NADRA are and demanded to know details of assignments given to them, according to News International.

Responding to the queries, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan asked the senators to submit the questions afresh, so the Ministry of Interior could reply accordingly.

NADRA is an independent and autonomous agency under Pakistan's Interior Secretary which regulates government databases and statistically manages the sensitive registration database of all the national citizens of Pakistan.

( With inputs from ANI )