Tariq Malik, who was appointed the chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in 2021, on Tuesday tendered his resignation from the post, stressing it had become “increasingly difficult” to work in the current polarized political climate.
“I find it increasingly difficult to work in a charged and polarized political environment. It is difficult for any professional to maintain his integrity and independence in an environment that constantly pigeon-holes people in an ‘us versus them’ logic and where political loyalty is privileged over competence,” read the three-page resignation letter that was widely distributed on social media.
“My values are more important than compromises that are expected of me,” he continued, noting he had tried to serve all governments regardless of political affiliation and had worked with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to clarify to parliamentarians how voter lists are formed.
Urging the prime minister against appointing any serving or retired bureaucrat to replace him, Malik requested his successor be a professional and technical person. “The organization deserves a thorough professional with a background in technology and management,” he said, claiming that Pakistan had been “light years” ahead of neighboring India’s Aadhar initiative in 2013 but had fallen behind due to a lack of consistent and coherent approach. NADRA could not afford such “political experimentation,” he stressed.
As this was his second time as NADRA chairman, Malik said he had attempted to serve the country to the best of his abilities both times without considering party or institutional interests. “I was selected to lead the organization after a highly competitive process involving over 100 applicants and multiple rounds of interviews,” he wrote. “At the time I was serving as the chief technical adviser of the UNDP headquarters in New York, U.S., advising member states on digital governance,” he said.
“In that capacity, I had the privilege of observing and shaping from close quarters the digitalization of many rich and poor countries, anchored in digital ID. I also had the honor of shaping the global standards for digital ID at the World Bank. In the course of fulfilling various global assignments, Pakistan remained my first passion and foremost commitment. In this context, I was pleased to have played a humble part in contributing to the development of an organization that forms the backbone of Pakistan’s development,” he said.
The contents of the resignation letter have raised concerns over Malik being pressured to resign, which Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah sought to deny during a press conference. Maintaining there was no pressure, he said action had already been taken those involved in an earlier data leak of the Army chief’s family.
A statement issued by NADRA after the resignation went public said the prime minister had appreciated Malik’s services during a meeting earlier in the day.