Chinese nationals arrive at a court in Islamabad after being arrested by the FIA for their alleged involvement in a trafficking ring to lure women from Pakistan into fake marriages and then forcing them into prostitution in China. PHOTO: FILE/AFP
ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to brief it on the scandal surrounding marriages between Chinese men and Pakistani women.
A meeting of the standing committee, chaired by Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman on Tuesday took up the matter of alleged fake marriages on demand of Senator Sabir Shah.
Shah said reports are doing the rounds that the Chinese men, marrying Pakistani women, are not treating them well after taking them to their country. The chairman said Pakistan has friendly relations with China and there is an impression that it is an attempt to ruin these relations.
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“However, to improve these relations, oppression of girls cannot be justified,” he said. The committee later asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to brief it on this matter.
The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) secretary also briefed the panel on case of Abdur Rehman, a Pakistani man incarcerated in Malaysia. He said a report from the Malaysian Embassy said Rehman was involved in murder of his wife.
A Malaysian high court convicted him and the verdict was upheld during appeal. There are only two ways to get a relief – a royal pardon or a relief from Malaysian federal court, the secretary said.
“In this regard we are waiting for response from Abdur Rehman’s family regarding the relief option that they want to adopt for,” he added. Rehman’s father requested the panel to get relief for his son.\
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He said for two years they did not know why their son was imprisoned. The chairman assured him of all possible support but said: “If you want royal pardon then the foreign ministry is prepared but if you file a review petition then option for pardon will be eliminated. You have to take a decision.”
The OPF DG told the committee that the ministry has started one window operation for overseas Pakistanis. The Pakistanis residing abroad will receive all facilities under one roof.
The overseas Pakistanis will be provided facility of passport issuance in the OPF office. The PM has given approval for the preparation of machine-readable passport in the OPF office, he said.
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