Daily Times

Caretaker Interior Minister for Interior Sarfraz Bugti on Wednesday clarified that the ultimatum for returning home before November 1 is for all illegal foreigners and not just for Afghan refugees.

Briefing the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior, he said the impression was wrong that only Afghan citizens were being evacuated and after the deadline only passports and visa would be allowed to enter Pakistan. The minister further apprised the committee that the government had talked about illegal residents, but the wrong message was sent however, its message was not only for Afghan citizens, but for all illegal residents.

He said that no country in the world allowed any non-immigrant to settle as permanent citizen and start businesses without documentation. The minister said, the government owned only as a guest if someone had a refugee card or a valid visa but the impression was given that this was an ethnic issue whereas the government clearly talked about eviction of all illegal residents.

Bugti said that he was not aware of the issue of Biharis living illegally in the country, but the matter would be investigated. The minister said that the other counties in the world forcefully deport illegal immigrants in accordance with the international and national laws of immigration and citizenship. Speaking to the media person after the meeting, Bugti said that no extension had been proposed for the date of November 1 given to the people residing illegally in the country.

From November 1, it had to be ensured that anyone coming into the country would bring a passport and those living without visa would be deported with force to their country of origin, he added. He said attempts were being made to make the issue ethnic but the government would not allow anyone living illegally in Pakistan.

He said that no diplomatic intervention was being done and there was no need for it, adding the western countries strictly followed the laws of immigration and did not allow any one without documents to stay in their country. “If the western countries are so sensitive about their citizens, then for us Pakistanis are above all,” the minister added.