In a major development, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a corruption case against former NADRA chairman Tariq Malik and 12 other senior officials over alleged financial irregularities in the authority’s smart card project.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Transparency International, which highlighted questionable procurement practices and mismanagement involving millions of dollars. The project, aimed at issuing smart national identity cards, is now under intense scrutiny for alleged violations of procurement laws.
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According to the FIR, the suspects—including the chief project officer—are accused of bypassing Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) rules to award contracts to a preferred company. The FIA alleges that this led to significantly inflated payments and financial damage to the public purse.
Investigations suggest that NADRA paid well above market rates for the smart cards and manipulated the bidding process to ensure one vendor’s success. The charges include criminal misconduct, abuse of power, and deliberate misrepresentation in official procedures.
