Nadra, banks, FBR data available on dark web: PML-N senator

• Senator Afnanullah tells Senate body about Pakistanis’ data leak.
• Says fraudster "used" AG office consultant’s passport to reach India.
• Data leak possibe by sharing details via WhatsApp: DG passports.
  

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Afnanullah Khan claimed on Tuesday that data from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and banks is available on the dark web.

The PML-N lawmaker made the startling revelation during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

Data of any Pakistani citizen can be purchased for just Rs500, the senator said, adding: “Data theft at this level is not possible without the involvement of someone from within the department.”

He said a fraudster had travelled to India in 2023 using the fake passport of a consultant at the attorney general’s office.

The affected lawyer, who was present during the meeting, told lawmakers that the hoaxer used his identity and a fake passport to travel to India. He added that he later had to take his parents to Nadra to prove himself a Pakistani citizen.

At this, the Immigration and Passports director general said that the Nadra shared with them details of several such cases of forgery. He said that a dashboard has been set up to prevent fraudulent travel.

When asked how people’s identity and data were stolen from Nadra, the DG said: “People share their passport and identity card details via WhatsApp, and leaks are possible from there.”

This case occurred in 2023, but Nadra and the passport offices have since brought innovation to stop such things. “I guarantee and assure that no one can get a fake passport now,” said the DG.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the government is bringing an authority related to cyber security, adding that they would brief Senator Afnanullah on Nadra.

This is not the first time reports have emerged of Pakistanis’ data being leaked on the dark web.

In September 2025, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman had revealed that the personal data of approximately 300,000 individuals who applied for Hajj surfaced on the dark web.

The PTA chief had made these revelations during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT. He had stressed the need for a comprehensive inquiry to identify the sources of these leaks.