41 domicile certificates detected today are 80% suspected in Larkana: Probe body finds

LARKANA:The chairman and members of Inquiry Committee constituted by Sindh Chief Secretary continued investigation on second day against allegations of issuance of domicile certificates to outsiders, here Friday.

The committee headed by Senior Member, Board of Revenue (BoR) Qazi Shahid Pervez include two members Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo Secretary, Services, General Administration and Coordination Department and Nazir Ahmed Qureshi, Deputy Director, PRC, BoR. Commissioner, Larkana Division, Muhammad Saleem Raza Khuhro was also present on the occasion.

The committee again visited the domicile branch located at deputy commissioner’s office and inquired about various details. Briefing media, chairman of the Inquiry Committee Qazi Shahid Pervez said that they had earlier identified 250 suspected cases and last night 1262 more cases were selected for detailed scrutiny out of which 127 cases were found suspected which needed thorough probe.

He said when each and every document of those certificates were verified and compared with past record, we have come to the conclusion that 41 cases are 80% suspected which cannot be cleared without ground verification.

He said 60 cases had also been submitted to the committee by civil society which too will be probed thoroughly. He said: “We have to complete the probe of Larkana by Monday and then we will also visit other districts because we cannot delay submission of detailed report to the government.”

Qazi said it was within the powers of the Inquiry Committee to investigate bogus and fake domiciles wherever complaints are existing adding for the time being, we will confine ourselves to six districts of Sindh which include Kashmore, Naushehro Feroze, Jamshoro and one district of Karachi where investigations will be made on same principles.

He said no injustice will be done to anyone and team is working honestly and in transparent manner. He said NADRA is a national institution and if we needed any change or amendment in issuing CNICs it will be mentioned in our report.

He said complaints have also been received from Ghotki, Sanghar, Kashmore, Jamshoro, Naushehro Feroze and Shikarpur but seven days’ time to conduct an inquiry is very short, therefore, he added, we will focus on those districts from where large number of complaints have been received.

Meanwhile, civil society members and people of Larkana have asked as to why a junior officer was authorized to supervise and issue domicile certificates which is basically a sensitive issue and it is fundamentally the job of the deputy commissioner.

On the other hand, activists of several political, social welfare organizations and nationalist parties also held a large protest demonstrations separately against issuance of domicile certificates to non-residents of Sindh which, according to them, had deprived the locals of their right to jobs and enhanced unemployment and poverty in Sindh. They included Athar Soomro, Ashraf Kalhoro, Ali Muhammad Khoso, advocate Salma Bhutto, Turab Ali Shah, Nayab Sarkash Sindhi and others.

They shouted slogans in favour of their just demand while holding large placards in their hands demanding justice and immediate end of such malpractices. They further demanded that those officers who are found guilty of the charge should be taken to task and criminal cases be also registered against them.