Pakistan: Police detains over 700 foreign nationals in Quetta, Islamabad

Islamabad: Police in Islamabad and Quetta detained more than 700 foreign nationals for allegedly living without legal documents, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. The development comes a day after the Pakistan federal government gave illegal immigrants the deadline to leave Pakistan by November 1.

In a statement, an Islamabad police spokesperson said 1126 people were questioned during the operation. Among them, 503 were allegedly found to be living illegally. They were booked under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and have been kept in prison on judicial remand.
Around 623 people were released after they showed the requisite legal documents, according to the statement. Islamabad police said that the entire process was carried out without any "unpleasant event," adding that connecting criminal elements to illegal foreign nationals was "false equivalence," according to Dawn report.

More than 200 Afghans allegedly living illegally were arrested in Quetta, according to Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said. He said that the arrests were made from various regions of Quetta, Dawn reported.

Shafqaat stated that action against illegal buildings on Quetta's drainage channels has started with 11 such structures already sealed. He said that there are more than 1,000 such illegal residential and commercial complexes which pose a natural disaster threat, Dawn reported.
On Tuesday, Pakistan's caretaker federal government has set November 1 as the deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country or else face deportation, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.

While addressing a press conference, Pakistan caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that the immigrants have been given a deadline of November 1 to leave the country. He further said that a task force has also been formed which will take action against illegal immigrants.
Bugti said, "Pakistan is the only country permitting people's entry even without a passport." He further said that the assets owned by illegal immigrants would be confiscated. He pointed out that a web portal is being established to report any illegal activity related to smuggling, as per ARY News report.

"The names of those who provide any information related to illegal activities would be kept secret," Bugti elaborated. He made the remarks following the apex committee meeting.

Meanwhile, the National Apex Committee meeting has decided in principle to evict foreigners, illegally living in Pakistan.The decision was taken in a meeting of the Apex committee chaired by Pakistan caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in the chair.

The meeting was attended by high-ranked security officials. According to sources, security officials briefed the participants of the meeting about the recent terror incidents in Pakistan, ARY News reported. The meeting was also briefed about the steps being taken to control terrorism in Pakistan and action against illegal immigrants.