ISLAMABAD:
Tired of being labelled as a country exporting beggars, especially to Arab countries, the federal government has decided to treat begging as an act of terrorism, and enact a stricter legislation to curb the menace, it emerged on Thursday.
After repeated complaints from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against beggars, the government green-lighted strict action against all those who go abroad for begging. It was decided that the passports of all the deported beggars would be blocked, and they would be tried in Pakistan.
The details emerged after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry visited the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. Later they briefed journalists about the issues ranging from begging to Afghans’ deportation and from terrorism to immigration policies.
“Strict measures will be introduced to curb beggary and illegal immigration,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in an official statement. While chairing the meeting, the minister directed that all legal formalities regarding the new requirements for obtaining passports must be completed on a priority basis.
Naqvi said that the new requirements would serve as a deterrent against beggary and illegal immigration. He added that one hundred per cent implementation should be ensured on the directive to block the passports of deported persons.
“This decision will send a positive message to the international community,” Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry incorporated.
During his meeting with the journalists, Chaudhry revealed that the countries deporting people on charges of beggary would also provide the evidence, saying that most of the complaints were received from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“Begging abroad will be treated as an act of terrorism,” Chaudhry said, adding that stricter law would also be enacted to create deterrence against it.
The minister of state also said that scrutiny process of the people travelling to Saudi Arabia and the UAE would also be made stringent.
In response to a question about the Pakistanis being deported from other countries, he said Pakistan would accept all those deported from the US, the UK, Europe or any other country, whose identity was confirmed.
Commenting on his recent visit to London to attend the Border Security Summit, Chaudhry said that he conveyed Islamabad’s stance that it was committed to stop illegal immigration. He said that he also urged the interior ministers of UK, Germany, Spain, Austria and Poland, to encourage legal immigration by accelerating immigration process.
Earlier, Chaudhry held a press conference regarding Afghan refugees’ repatriation, saying that the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, would continue and there would be no extension in the deadline that expired last month.
Emphasising that the Afghan citizens were being repatriated in a dignified manner after March 31 deadline, Chaudhry said that transit points were established in all the provinces to facilitate the Afghan citizens, adding the 857,157 illegal foreign nationals and Afghan Citizen Card holders had so far been sent back to their respective countries.
Reiterating that here would be no further extension in the deadlines for Afghan refugees, Chaudhry said that Pakistan would fully implement a one-document regime and only allow people to enter and stay in the country on valid visas and passports.
Chaudhry maintained that the deportation drive would be completed in three phases. Illegal foreign nationals were sent back in the first phase, while Afghan Citizen Card holders to be deported in the second phase and Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration cards would be deported in the third.
He said that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades and the decision of deportation was taken in line with recent evidence showing that Afghan citizens were involved in narcotics trade and terrorism-related activities in Pakistan.
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