NA panel: 1.8 million 'aliens' registered in Karachi

Around 3.3 million foreigners living in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As many as 1.8 million aliens have been registered in Karachi, the interior ministry informed lawmakers on Tuesday.

Additional Secretary Interior Imtiaz Tajwar informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control that so far 1.8 million foreigners have been registered in the port city by the National Aliens Registration Authority (NARA).

The secretary, however, was skeptical about the exact figures presented in a survey conducted by NARA. Tajwar told the committee that the foreigners have been asked to get themselves registered with the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

MNA Nabil Gabol of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was of the view that hundreds of thousands of illegal-immigrants were living in Karachi and most of them were involved in terror activities.

According to rough estimates of interior ministry the total immigrant population in Pakistan stands at around 3.3 million.