SC rejects plea regarding repatriation of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh

Plea dismissed on ground of petitioner having no locus standi


Hasnaat Mailk March 31, 2015
Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday plea regarding repatriation of at least 300,000 stranded Pakistanis (mostly Biharis) from Bangladesh on grounds of having no locus standi.

The three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar resumed the petition that was filed by the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee of Bangladesh six years ago, through its president Abdul Jabbar Khan. The petition sought repatriation of Pakistanis who are living in subhuman conditions in a number of camps across Bangladesh.

The court ruled that the petitioner has no locus standi as the organisation is unregistered and the counsel for petitioner, Rashidul Haq Qazi, failed to satisfy with his arguments if is registered.

The plea was dismissed by the Supreme Court saying that as per government policies, these residents of Bangladesh are not essentially Pakistanis.

On March 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the remaining ‘stranded Pakistanis’ in Bangladesh are not the responsibility of Pakistan as the country has already repatriated a large number of non-Bengalis.

Read: Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh not Pakistan's responsibility, FO tells SC

The foreign office in its report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, claimed that large number of Biharis stranded in Bangladesh do not want to be repatriated to Pakistan. “There is a difference of opinion on their repatriation to Pakistan or otherwise. There are a large number of Biharis in Bangladesh who do not want to be repatriated to Pakistan,” added the report.

COMMENTS (20)

SARFARAZ BASHAR | 8 years ago | Reply @faisal: Becose These Bunch of fool were supporting pakistani army in 1971 and they were against the Local Bengali people and they are still paying the price to be loyal with your beloved country "Pakistan" ,I Don't know why they are still in a illustion as Self Proclaimed Pakistani since 44 Years & I am calling them fools becose i am also a proud Bihari living in India and This also exposes the hypocrisy of Pakistan for the Kashmiris
faisal | 8 years ago | Reply All the people domiciled in West Pakistan were repatriated and even if someone is left be he punjabi or pathan, he should be repatriated. When East Pakistan became Bangladesh all its residents domiciled there became bangladeshis and ae no longer pakistanis and have no legal status to move here. I don't know why they call them pakistanis.
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