Eight National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials have been suspended as the action began in data theft case on the recommendation of Joint Investigation Team (JIT),  sources said on Thursday. As per details, disciplinary action has been initiated against over a dozen NADRA officers and eight were suspended and charge-sheeted. However, the names of individuals have not been shared due to court proceedings and data privacy. Earlier, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) submitted a report to the interior ministry regarding the leakage of citizens’ data by the NADRA The report unveiled that data of 27 million Pakistanis was stolen from 2019 to 2023 with the help of Nadra offices of Multan, Peshawar and Karachi. According to the JIT report, data was obtained from Multan to Peshawar and then to Dubai, and was also sold in Argentina and Romania? The report recommended action against several senior Nadra officers?

The joint investigation team, headed by FIA Director Cybercrime, was constituted to investigate the March 2023 cyberattack, in which personal information of citizens, including military officials, was accessed and stolen. The JIT submitted its report to then caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar following the completion of inquiry. The caretaker premier ordered NADRA to initiate actions as per the findings and recommendations. In the report, the proposed measures, to safeguarding the citizens’ data, include regulatory actions along with technology upgrades. Meanwhile, the authorities have launched compliance measures in light of Prime Minister’s orders. The report stated that the measures will enable better delivery of emergency services and help in ensuring standard database security.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan