1,700 illegal Afghan immigrants in Pakistan’s Sindh deported so far: official

A total of 2,371 illegal immigrants, including 1,700 Afghans, in Pakistan’s Sindh province have been deported so far, local authorities have announced.

Sindh Caretaker Minister for Home and Prison Haris Nawaz in a press conference said that the action of deporting illegal immigrants was being taken indiscriminately. He clarified the perception that the action was not being taken only against illegal Afghani immigrants, The Nation reported on Friday.

Nawaz said that the crackdowns were being carried out across the country against illegal immigrants, and it was a unanimous policy, which the Sindh province was also adhering to.

He said that 1,218 cases of illegal immigrants were pending in jails in the province. The Home Minister said that illegal immigrants lived more in KhyberPakhtoon Khawa and Balochistan than in Sindh province.

The Home Minister linked the peace in the city to the deportation of illegal immigrants. He said that they were trying to make Karachi a crime-free city.

This comes as Pakistan has set November 1 as deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.