Foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan must go back: Bugti
Pakistan
Sarfraz Bugti said that law would come into action from Wednesday morning after expiry of deadline.
FAISALABAD (Dunya News) - Caretaker Federal Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that the foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan must go back as strict action would be taken against them along with their facilitators after deadline.
Talking to media persons during inaugural ceremony in Faisalabad on Tuesday night, Sarfraz Bugti said that more than 200,000 refugees including Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan had returned so far whereas the remaining illegal foreign nationals should also go back voluntarily or be ready to face the music.
He said that the government was committed to launch a crackdown against unregistered migrants after deadline. Therefore, the illegal foreigners were advised to immediately leave Pakistan themselves.
He said that geo-fencing and tracking would be started for arrest of the refugees staying in the country without documents or registration and no excuse would be accepted in this regard after the law came into action.
He said that Pakistan was the only country in the world which had provided shelter to a large number of Afghan refugees for a long period. During last 8 months, 24 terrorists attacks occurred in the country and Afghan nationals were found involved in 14 incidents which was a matter of grave concern, he added.
He said that in the past, national identity cards and passports were issued to many illegal foreigners but now their involvement in anti-state incidents could not be ignored.
He said that NADRA had become an institute of national security. Therefore, its data should be protected at all costs.
He said that illegal foreigners should understand that now they had to go back to their countries because normalcy had restored in their countries. If anyone tried to hide him [illegal foreigner] in Pakistan, strict action would be taken against him along with his facilitator, the minister added.
He further said that many foreigners had purchased properties on Pakistani identity cards and started their business which should be legalized as 'we were encouraging business-friendly environment and visa policy'. So if any illegal foreigner wanted to invest or do business in Pakistan, he should first go back to his country and then come to Pakistan in a legal mode, then 'we would encourage him openly', he added.
Sarfaraz Bugti further said, "The caretaker government has come for a limited time, so we will support all those who are doing positive work. We will facilitate the voluntary returnees, but the law breaking is not tolerated, so their facilitators are also requested to refrain from illegal facilitation."
He said that the law would come into action from Wednesday morning after expiry of deadline for expulsion of illegal foreign nationals.
