Policemen harassing documented foreigners nabbed in Karachi

KARACHI: Three policemen have been arrested for allegedly harassing documented foreigners in Karachi, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A case was lodged against a sub-inspector (SI) and three policemen at the SITE Super Highway police station for harassing legal immigrants in Karachi.

A video went viral on social media in which some cops can be seen harassing documented foreigners. Police said that the accused cops were arrested, whereas, the SI was absconding.

In another development today, crackdowns on illegal immigrants were continued in Hyderabad and more than 40 undocumented foreigners were sent to the holding points.

Hyderabad police said that more than 24 illegal foreigners were deported by Pakistan. Police added that the raids were conducted in the vicinity of the Hatri police station in two days.

Earlier in the month, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti rejected any ‘manhandling’ of illegal immigrants in Pakistan’s repatriation process.

“Prime Minister [Anwaarul Haq Kakar] has given very clear instructions that there should be no manhandling of illegal immigrants during repatriation process,” the interior minister said while speaking on Senate floor.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, chaired by Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

Sarfraz Bugti also assured the House that any mismanagement on the borders will be checked and suggestions from the political leadership in this regard will be welcomed.  “No Afghan refugee having legal documents has been even touched,” he added.

He reiterated that action is only against illegal immigrants, who have no valid travel documents, and the state of Pakistan wants to end this illegality. He said anyone, who wants to come to Pakistan on valid documents will be welcomed.

The minister also dispelled the impression that illegal immigrants were being sent back abruptly, saying that the government has evolved a proper mechanism to repatriate such people.

Sarfaraz Bugti said the government first gave a timeframe for voluntary return under which over 2,90,000 foreign nationals return to their homeland, while only around eight thousand illegal Afghan were sent back by the government.

He said around three hundred thousand illegal citizens have so far returned to their country. “A dedicated special portal and a telephone line have been established to receive any complaints about the repatriation of illegal immigrants,” he added.

Bugti added that 569 complaints were received and 82 percent of them have become satisfied as a result of consistent follow-up.