Senate panel calls for devising deportation policy

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior directed the interior ministry on Thursday to devising a clear and comprehensive policy for deportation of illegal immigrants and demanded strict action against those responsible for issuances of 6,000 visas to the foreigners in violation of the law.

The committee, which met here with Senator Rehman Malik, chairman of the committee, in the chair, also directed the interior secretary to present a report in two weeks about the horrible incident of alleged gang rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway.

The meeting was attended by senators Rana Maqbool, Kalsoom Parveen, Momin Afridi, Sassui Palijo and Prof Sajid Mir besides the interior secretary and other senior officials of the ministry, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Police and Punjab Police.

The committee discussed the issue raised by Palijo in the Senate on January 10, 2020, saying that large number of foreigners living in Sindh and elsewhere in the country, had been issued the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) by NADRA.

Palijo had said that according to her information, about 1 million CNIC had been issued to foreign nationals in Sindh, adding that illegal immigrants were getting full benefits of the incompetence and callousness of the verifying agencies and district level committees.

The chair endorsed the concerns expressed by Palijo and said that district officers concerned should coordinate with other stockholders in identifying illegal immigrants in order to implement Section 14-C of the Foreigner Act in letter and spirit.

NADRA officials said 1,376 CNICs issued illegally to foreigners in Sindh had been cancelled, while 14,499 CNICs had been digitally impounded during the issuing process because of dubious nationality status. They also said that 34,387 CNICs, had been blocked on reports from agencies and sent to the district committees for verification.

The committee formed a subcommittee headed by Rana Maqbool and comprising Momin Afridi and Kalsoom Parveen to find out causes of the issuance of the CNICs to the illegal immigrants and point out any lacunae in the Foreigner Act so that only bona fide Pakistanis could get CNICs.

He directed NADRA chairman to take disciplinary action against those involved in this heinous crime. The meeting called for devising a comprehensive policy for the deportation of illegal immigrants in the national interest.

The committee appreciated the action taken by the interior ministry on 6,000 visas issued to the foreign nationals, which had been declared as illegal. The committee demands strict action against those responsible for granting illegal visas to the foreign nationals, putting national security at risk.

Senator Kalsoom Perveen raised the matter of alleged gang rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. The chair directed for issuing a suo moto notice on this tragic incident and directed the interior secretary to present a detailed report to the committee within two weeks.

Peaceful Ashura

The committee unanimously passed a resolution, moved by Malik, to appreciate the interior ministry and the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) for maintaining law and order and security during Muharram.

The resolution, moved by Malik, condemned the use of indiscriminate use of pellets and tear gas by Indian forces on peaceful processions on Ashura in India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and urged the government to bring such gross violations of the human rights and religious freedom to the notice of the United Nations.

Mailk told the meeting that many complaints were being received from Balochistan regarding missing persons which was a matter grave public concern. He said that in view of the importance and sensitivity of the matter this issue will be taken in the next meeting separately.

Malik directed the CDA to submit a report in the next meeting on a point of public importance regarding demolition of mosques by the CDA raised Senator Sajid Mir. Malik directed the CDA not to take further action against the mosques until the matter was finalized by the committee.