NADRA denies rent arrears for Islamabad Headquarters

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has clarified that there is no pending rent for its headquarters building.

NADRA has responded to the objections raised during the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC members were briefed that NADRA has been occupying the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) building in Islamabad for the past 25 years without paying any rent.

A NADRA spokesperson told Pro Pakistani that the land was originally allotted to its predecessor, the National Database Organization (NDO), by the Government of Pakistan through a formal letter dated February 17, 2000.

NADRA stressed that its head office has been in the same building for the past 25 years and no objection has been raised in any audit report of the Auditor General of Pakistan regarding occupancy or rent. The spokesperson also said that various other government departments, including the offices of the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees of the National Assembly, are residing in the same building without paying any rent.

The NADRA Authority Board reviewed the matter in its 69th meeting, concluding that the property was formally allotted by the federal government and therefore does not require payment of rent.

NADRA confirmed that it regularly pays its property tax to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) as part of its obligations.