Interior minister Sarfraz Bugti unveils final plan for illegal foreigners' evacuation
Pakistan
To evacuate such foreigners the temporary camps have been setup
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti said the government has devised a final plan for the foreigners living in Pakistan illegally.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Islamabad, he said to evacuate such foreigners the temporary camps have been setup where provincial governments would provide them food and medical facilities. The said the provincial governments would bear all expenses of these camps.
He said illegal residents would be repatriated to their countries from the holding centers. Utmost respect of children, women and elders will be maintained at the centers, he said adding after Nov 1 no compromise would be made on the illegal residents.
Bugti also ruled out the possibility of an extension to the deadline, saying there were no current proposals for such an extension.
Bugti, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, emphasised that the government's intent to take action against unauthorised residents had been misconstrued.
Earlier on October 3, the caretaker government had announced that law enforcement agencies would repatriate all individuals living illegally in Pakistan after the deadline's expiration.
At that time, Bugti had indicated that approximately 1.73 million unregistered Afghans were residing in the country.
State media had previously reported that the decision to remove 1.1 million foreigners living unlawfully was prompted by the revelation of their involvement in terrorist activities and illegal practices like smuggling.
This announcement had faced criticism from various quarters, with many questioning whether it primarily targeted Afghan refugees.
In his briefing, Bugti clarified, "Our intention was to deport unauthorised residents, but our announcement was interpreted as if we were only deporting Afghans. The government's message was not exclusive to Afghans; it applied to all undocumented residents."
The minister explained that individuals with refugee cards or valid visas were considered guests, and the government was also deporting unauthorised entrants from Iran, particularly those from the Baloch community.
Bugti highlighted that the issue should not be seen as an ethnic matter, emphasising that it solely pertained to deporting unauthorised residents from the country. He noted that no country in the world allowed people to reside illegally within its borders.
Regarding the possibility of an extension to the deadline, Bugti stated that there were no current proposals for such an extension, and all relevant stakeholders would discuss this if it became necessary.
Bugti expressed the government's aim to implement a one-document regime after November 1, requiring anyone traveling to Pakistan to possess a passport.
The minister reiterated that the issue had no ethnic dimension and did not involve diplomatic interference, stating that there was no need for such interference.
Sindh Home Minister retired Brig Haris Nawaz had similarly emphasised the operation's broader scope, clarifying that it targeted all foreign nationals residing illegally in the country.
