NADRA officials dismissed over major data breach affecting 2.7 million citizens

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior was informed of the dismissal of several officials from the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) involved in a data breach that compromised the information of 2.7 million citizens. 

NADRA Chairman disclosed that one grade-19 officer and five others were terminated over the incident. However, some committee members, including Agha Rafiullah, expressed frustration, claiming key figures involved in the data leak faced no consequences and were even transferred to better positions.

During the committee meeting, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, NADRA Chairman highlighted challenges in expanding offices, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, due to funding constraints. 

He noted that establishing additional offices in 61 tehsils would raise CNIC issuance fee. NADRA currently operates on a Rs 57 billion budget, with 87% allocated to salaries, and is investing in 90 new vans to expand mobile registration services, including satellite-equipped vehicles for remote regions.

NADRA reported a significant workforce of 20,577, with 60 officers dismissed over the past five years. Revenue has surged from Rs23.55 billion in 2019-20 to Rs57 billion in 2023-24. In Karachi, NADRA plans to expand services by adding one National Registration Center (NRC) and four Mega NRCs during 2024-25.