Pakistanis deported from abroad to face passport cancellation, police action: Naqvi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis deported from various countries for different reasons will face strict action, including passport cancellation and police cases, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday, as part of a crackdown on international human trafficking rings tarnishing Pakistan’s image.

A decision to crack the whip on returning deportees was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Naqvi in Islamabad.

The move comes after Saudi Arabia deported over 5,000 Pakistani beggars in the past 16 months. Naqvi shared this information with the National Assembly earlier this month in a written response to a question from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sehar Kamran.

Another 369 Pakistanis were caught begging in five other countries during the same period. In April alone, 106 Pakistanis deported from Europe arrived in Islamabad.

Last month, Naqvi had already announced that the government would block the passports of those deported and make it harder to issue new travel documents.

As per the minutes of the Saturday meeting, these individuals will also be placed on a passport watchlist for five years.

A committee headed by the interior secretary has been set up to review and strengthen passport regulations.

Naqvi said that the actions of these individuals were damaging Pakistan’s image internationally and that there would be no leniency going forward.