Deadline to leave Pakistan for all illegal foreigners: Sarfaraz Bugti

Flight operations for settling Afghan refugees in UK to start on Oct 26

Action against 12,500 Afghans over fake passports, ID cards scandal

Islamabad_The government has decided to expel all illegal immigrants including Afghans from Pakistan, Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Wednesday.

Sarfaraz Bugti in a briefing to the Senate standing committee for interior, said that the government announced about the people illegally staying in the country, but it was misinterpreted.

“We talked about expulsion of the people illegally staying in Pakistan, while the message went that we are only expelling Afghans,” interior minister said. “The message was not only for Afghans but all people illegally staying in the country,” he explained. It is not happened that a person illegally arrives and settles in any country,” federal minister said.

“If a foreign national have refugee card or arrived on visa, is our guest,” he said.

“The government also going to expel Iranian Baloch, staying illegally here,” he further said. “We are talking about all people illegally staying in country,” he added.

In an interchange with Agha Rafiullah, federal minister said that he was unaware about the issue of Biharis. “You visit the interior ministry, we will further brief you,” he told the committee’s member.

“We will tell you tomorrow, what is permissible under the law and what the government can do,” he added.

The special flights to transport Afghan refugees living in Pakistan to Britain will start operating from tomorrow.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the departure of Afghan refugees to the United Kingdom will start from October 26 through chartered flights. Around 2,000 refugees will be flown to Britain on 12 chartered flights, it added.

The CAA further explained that the special flight operation will continue till December, and one weekly flight will fly to the UK.

The first flight carrying 200 Afghan refugees will depart from Islamabad for the UK. Special arrangements are being made for flights at the Islamabad airport.

According to the CAA, the British High Commission and aviation authorities had held a meeting on Islamabad on Tuesday.

The landing and take-off arrangements for the chartered flights were made in mutual consultations between the British authorities and the CAA.

Earlier,

The Interior Ministry has initiated action against Afghan citizens residing in Pakistan on the issue of over 12,500 fake identity cards and passports caught in Saudi Arabia.

According to officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), it has been decided to issue notices to over 12,500 Afghans on the issue of fake identity cards and passports.

These instructions have been issued to the authorities concerned at all NADRA centres, including Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar.

The 12,500 passports and identity cards will be cancelled after proper legal action is taken.

According to NADRA officials, 593 Afghans were issued identity cards from their Islamabad centres, and 5,500 from Quetta and Peshawar.

On Oct 16, the Interior Ministry had notified a five-member high-level committee to probe into the fake passports issued for Saudi Arabia.