Bahrain deports 180 Pakistanis serving in defence
Pakistanis serving in BDG were sacked and deported for violating the disciplinary norms.
MANAMA (Dunya Web) - Government of Bahrain has deported 180 Pakistanis serving in Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) on disciplinary grounds.
Bahrain authorities and Pakistan authorities at Islamabad told the media that 180 Pakistanis serving in BDG were sacked and deported to Pakistan for violating the disciplinary norms.
One Pakistani officer said this was not a political matter but was rather an administrative matter. This incident was first of its nature that Pakistanis in such large number were deported from Bahrain.
BDF comprises army, navy and air force and royal guards units. Public Security Forces (PSF) and Coast Guards are not part of BDF. Apart from it, National Guards consisting of 1200 personnel is also functioning. Pakistanis in large number are performing duties in police department of Bahrain, PDF and National Guards of Bahrain but the precise number of Pakistanis serving in security forces of Bahrain is not known.
Dozens of people have been killed so far and injured in the anti governments riots erupted in February, 2011 at Bahrain.
In the meantime, several hundreds Pakistanis were recruited in National Guards at Bahrain through Fouji Foundation at Pakistan. The demonstrators in reprisal to the action taken by Bahrain police and security forces against the anti government demonstrations targeted Pakistanis living therein. A good number of Pakistanis were killed and injured in consequence of these attacks.
Bahrain government has overcome the situation to large extent but the anti government rallies are still continuing therein. As per population census-2012 total population of Bahrain comes to 1200000 and the expatriates constitute more than half of the population of the country. Most of them are Asian countries.
Authorities said over 50000 Pakistanis are settled in Bahrain and most of them are living there since several years past. Bahrain is the only Arab country which grants citizenship rights to citizens of some Muslim countries including Pakistan.