Govt criticised over poor response on deporting illegal Afghans

Awami Tehreek accuses PPP of supporting illegal immigrants for political gains

KARACHI:

Nationalist  leaders  have  expressed concerns over the sluggish response of authorities to repatriate illegal Afghans  who were given November 1 deadline for voluntary return to their country.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT), President, Ayaz Latif Palijo, issued a warning  on Thursday,  stating that  providing any form of protection to illegal immigrants is a threat to peace  and stability in the country. Palijo emphasised that it could also be seen as part of a conspiracy to alter the demographic makeup of Sindh’s native  population.  

He  urged  mainstream  political  parties  not to  compromise on country’s security for the sake of electoral politics. Palijo argued that  peace  is gradually  returning to Afghanistan, and the economic conditions  in  that  country  are  showing improvement compared to Pakistan’s.

Read Afghan border crossings overwhelmed

He reiterated that illegal immigrant settlements have spread across various 
districts  in  the  province, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur. “In  addition  to  being  an  economic burden, these immigrants have been found  involved  in acts  of  terrorism, heinous crimes, and smuggling,” alleged Palijo.

Separately,  a  meeting  of  the Jeay  Sindh  Rahbar  Committee,  which  comprises several nationalist parties, also held mainstream parliamentary  parties, including JI and JUI-F, responsible for hindering the repatriation of Afghans. Riaz Chandio, from the Jeay Sindh Mahaz, pointed out that some parties have chosen to remain silent on the issues, while others openly support the illegal Afghan immigrants. 

He  highlighted  that  the  Supreme  Court  was  informed  about  the  presence of four million illegal Afghans in Pakistan, mostly in Sindh. Chandio  also  mentioned  that  the  National Database  and  Registration  Authority (NADRA) had registered 2.2 million Afghans in the country.

Awami Tehreek President, Lal Jarwar, accused the caretaker government of not taking meaningful measures for repatriation,  which  he  claimed  was  in defiance of the court’s order. He alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party is  supporting  these  immigrants  for  political gains.