Pakistan orders ‘overstaying’ foreign nationals to leave by August 14 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Monday warned overstaying foreign nationals either to leave the country by August 14 or apply online for a visa renewal or an extension so they could get a waiver on being fined. 
Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said thousands of foreign nationals who had been staying in Pakistan illegally for the last many years would be expelled from the country forcefully if they failed to abide by new rules. 
“August 14 is the cut-off date for all foreigners staying illegally in Pakistan for the last many years,” the interior minister told reporters at a press conference in Islamabad, announcing that the government would waive the fine for overstaying in Pakistan if a foreign national opted to extend or renew their visas even after forty years. 
The minister also announced a new system of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to purge the country of people with fake computerized national identity cards. 
“I have directed chairman Nadra to introduce the new system within fourteen days,” he said.
In January, the interior minister announced canceling at least 200,000 fake identity cards fraudulently issued to Afghan nationals with the connivance of NADRA officials. NADRA denies the charge. 
On Monday, the minister said that at least 39 NADRA officials had been dismissed from service in Karachi for involvement in issuing fake identity documents to foreign nationals, saying he would initiate a crackdown against corrupt officials in other parts of the country too. 
Under the new policy, the minister said NADRA would send a text message to all those suspected of having fake identity cards and their responses would also be registered electronically to verify their data. 
“Our goal is that nobody should misuse Pakistan’s identity card,” Ahmed said.