ISLAMABAD: A Deportation Implementation Plan (DIP) has been submitted to the Ministry of Interior against the foreigners illegally living in the federal capital Islamabad, the sources with knowledge of the plan said on Friday.
A massive action has been planned to deport aliens dwelling in the jurisdiction of Islamabad without any legal documents and suitable identity, the sources maintained. The DIP has been framed by the team of experts of the federal capital Police on the orders of the Caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti, the sources added.
The foreigners living in Islamabad have to register with the National Aliens Registration Authority (NARA), otherwise, they would be treated as illegal aliens and would be bound to stay in the refugee established by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). In violation of these conditions the aliens would deported back to their countries, the sources said. The UNHCR has established 41 refugee camps all around Pakistan but not in Islamabad. The aliens staying in Islamabad should stay in the refugee camp in Haripur or Peshawar but they would not be allowed to live in the capital city.
Quoting the DIP report, the sources said that to establish the legal identity of the Afghan or any other refugees it is essential to be registered with the NARA, adding that a comprehensive record of Afghan refugees has been prepared with the coordination of the Afghan Commissionerate. The sources maintained that during the current action, 700 illegal residents of different countries have been detained without any legal documents, among those 298 are in jail while the remaining were released after they completed their legal documents to stay in Islamabad. As many as 21 operations have been conducted in different localities of Islamabad and 39 cases have been registered with relevant police stations.
The Foreign Act was established in 1946 after World War II to stop illegal stay in the country and it was put into practice in Pakistan and India likewise. However, its implementation is quite weak in Pakistan but now the government has resolved to implement the Foreign Act in letter and spirit as illegal occupants are not allowed to stay in any capital city across the world. “The government has decided to implement the Foreign Act by force to clear the Federal Capital from illegal aliens,” the sources quoting the DIP report said and added that the illegal occupants would be arrested and prosecuted according to the law of the land. Those who have no legal status must establish their refugee status with the coordination of the ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and the Afghan Commissionerate but those who fail to do so and are found involved in illegal or criminal activities would straightaway be deported to their home countries. However, Afghans who have a refugee status will enjoy the concession of being allowed to stay back after the deportation of any family member found involved in a criminal activity unless they also want to leave with him.
Inspector General of Police Islamabad, Dr Akbar Nasir, when contacted by this correspondent, confirmed the report, saying that the police would play their role in implementing the Deportation Implementation Plan.