CAA record sought in Turkish family deportation case

LAHORE :The Lahore High Court Tuesday sought record of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) pertaining to arrival of a special plane from Turkey, which allegedly took out former vice-president of Pak-Turk Schools Mesut Kacmaz and his family from Pakistan.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza was hearing a petition moved by Mr Orhan Uygun challenging deportation of his colleague Mr Kacmaz along with other family members in violation of the court stay order.  As hearing started, Deputy Attorney General Imran Aziz on behalf of the ministries of interior and foreign affairs informed the court that the Turkish family had not been taken out of Pakistan as per the available record. Rebutting the government’s assertion, Advocate Asma Jahangir told the court that the Turkish family had been taken out of Pakistan on a special plane sent by Turkey government. She said the family was deported forcibly and handed over to Turkish police, which entered Pakistan soil.

Asma also presented a list of other Turkish educationists and told that they had also applied for asylum under the protection of UNHCR but they had serious apprehensions about their deportation like their colleague. At this, Justice Mirza issued an order to the federal government restraining it from deporting the Turkish teachers mentioned by the counsel under any circumstances without specific order of the court. The judge also ordered the Lahore CCPO to depute police at the residences of the Turkish nationals for their protection. Hearing was adjourned until October 25.

The petitioner had stated that the government through attorney general had undertaken before the court last year that the Turkish employees of the Pak-Turk School would not be deported until November 24, 2017. However, he said Mr Kacmaz and his family had been abducted by unidentified persons from their house and there was likelihood that they would soon be deported in violation of the court order. He said the police were also reluctant to register a case of the abduction. He asked the court to restrain the government from possible deportation of Turkish educationists and also place their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).