Federal govt’s comments sought as SHC extends stay order till Nov 15

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the federal law officer to file comments by November 15 on a petition filed by Turkish nationals seeking protection of life and a court injunction against their illegal deportation from Pakistan.

The court also continued its interim stay order restraining federal and provincial governments and agencies from taking any adverse action against Turkish nationals working as staff members of the Pak-Turk Schools and Colleges or their family members without the court’s permission. 

The petitioners – Ali Yilmaz, Fatma Yilmaz, Recep Lacin, Ummuhan Lacin, Abdulgani Gulmez, Emine Songul Gulmez, Yasin Ulucinar, Tuba Ulucinar, Abdulkerim Oguz and Seyide Nihal Oguz, Ubeyd Bayraktar, Gunes Sarisin – who have been living and working in Pakistan since 2011 submitted that the SHC had previously suspended the then-interior minster’s order regarding deportation of Pak-Turk schools staff members.

The petitioners submitted that, on September 27, their colleague, Mesut Kacmaz with his wife Meral Kacmaz and his two daughters Huda Nur Kacmaz and Fatima Huma Kacmaz, who lived in Wapda Town, Lahore, and Fatih Avci, were picked up by armed persons and shifted to an undisclosed location.

They submitted that is a well known fact that the Turkish government was requesting other countries to deport Turkish nationals and some of those deported were imprisoned, tortured and even killed in Turkey. Besides, they said, there were several reports issued by the United Nations on atrocities committed by the Turkish government. The petitioners told the SHC that they were being trailed by unknown men for the past few days and some people had also tried to abduct the petitioners’ colleagues from a school in Khairpur Mirs. The abduction attempt, they said, had failed due to the intervention of area people. The petitioners expressed apprehensions over forced deportation without due process of the law. 

Citing the ministry of interior, FIA and Sindh police as respondents, they requested the SHC to direct the ministry to place their names on the Exit Control List to avert their illegal deportation and also requested for provision of protection.

The station house officer of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police also filed comments stating that the court’s order shall be complied with in letter and spirit. He mentioned that two petitioners, Abdulgani Gulmez and Emine Songul Gulmez, were not residing in the limits of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station.

The SHC division bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar directed the federal law officer to file comments on behalf of the federal government and the Federal Investigation Agency and adjourned the hearing till November 15.