Control room set up for illegal immigrants

Administrations of mosques asked to make announcements about end of deadline

Muhammad Ismail, 40, sits with his family while they are waiting to cross main Afghanistan-Pakistan land border crossing, in Torkham, Pakistan September 15, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI/HYDERABAD:

The deadline for the departure of the illegal immigrants draws to an end on October 31 (today).

Although a number of deadlines have come and gone over the decades, the recent move by the government seems more serious.

A control room has been established at the Commissioner Office for the repatriation of illegal foreigners from the Karachi Division. In pursuance of the decision taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Home Minister, a control room having telephone numbers 021-99205645 and 99022477 was established at the office of Divisional Commissioner Karachi for monitoring of repatriation process of the illegal foreigners.

The Assistant Commiss-ioner (Revenue) Khalid Abdul Maroof was nominated as the focal person and Assistant Yousuf Khan as In-charge of the control room. All the Deputy Commissioners of the Karachi division were also asked to establish a control room at their respective offices to monitor the repatriation process of illegal foreigners.

They were also directed to prepare a communication plan for swift and efficient transportation of illegal foreigners from their residing places to holding points at the Chaman border.

Hyderabad DC warns illegal immigrants

The Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Tariq Qureshi warned that all illegal foreigners living in Hyderabad should follow the deadline of government of Pakistan and leave the country voluntarily till October 31. After the first November 2023, deadline will not be extended, he said.

People who want to leave should contact related police stations for their departure, the DC said.

Moreover, the DC appealed to the ulema to make announcements from the mosques that illegal Afghans should leave the country. On this, religious leaders assured the administration that they will cooperate with the state in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2023.

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