SC rejects plea regarding repatriation of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh
Plea dismissed on ground of petitioner having no locus standi
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.
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.