Islamabad, October 30
As the deadline loomed for all undocumented immigrants, including 1.7 million Afghan nationals, to leave Pakistan, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the caretaker government would start expelling such people in phases from November 1 if they do not leave the country.
Pakistan this month announced October 31 as the date for the removal of the illegal immigrants. Bugti confirmed that over 20,000 illegal foreigners have left Pakistan voluntarily over the last three days. He stated that all provincial governments would play an active part in the operation against illegal foreigners.
“Committees have been formed on divisional and district levels,” he added. The interim interior minister further clarified that the expulsion of illegal foreign nationals will be carried out in phases, and people with no travel documents will be deported in the first phase. The illegal immigrants, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for years, will be processed at temporary centres being set up by the government. “The government has completed the geo-mapping and will locate illegal immigrants,” he said.