The Sindh government shifted 16 Afghan children, who had been imprisoned in a jail in Sukkur district, to a children's remand home in Karachi on Saturday.
The provincial chief minister's special assistant on human rights, Veerji Kolhi, told The Express Tribune that Pakistan Peoples Party's chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and CM Murad Ali Shah had taken notice of his request to release the children from the environment of the jail.
"The children have been shifted to Karachi and the Afghan consul general has also been contacted to help in their repatriation," he added.
Over a week ago, the Kashmore-Kandhkot district police arrested 21 Afghan citizens, including 16 children, for illegally entering the country.
The Kashmore second civil judge and judicial magistrate sent on November 21 the arrested foreigners, who were booked under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, to prison on judicial remand.
Kolhi came across the children, between six to 14 years of age, during his visit to the Sukkur Central Jail on Thursday.
He wrote to the CM on the same day, requesting him to deport the children "who are languishing in the youthful offender industrial school in Sukkur jail."
He further write, "When enquired, it was learned that these children belong to Afghanistan and they illegally crossed the border which is a crime. But, otherwise, as per the police investigation they are not involved or wanted in any other crime."
He had also urged the CM to provide legal support to the children for their deportation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2020.
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