ISLAMABAD: Prominent Pakistani politicians and rights activists filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, challenging what they called the government’s “inhumane” decision to expel illegal immigrants.
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday began rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, as a Nov. 1 deadline for them to leave voluntarily or face expulsion expired. The government has said any illegal foreigners found staying in Pakistan beyond the deadline would be taken to holding centers before being deported.
“Not only is this policy beyond the mandate of the Caretaker Government provided in Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017, it is draconian and in contravention of national and international law,” the petitioners said in a press release.
The petitioners include Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) representative Farhatullah Babar, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, rights activist Amina Masood Janjua, politician Mohsin Dawar, lawyer Jibran Nasir and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, among others.
The petitioners said under the garb of deporting undocumented residents, authorities were also harassing, detaining and expelling people who possessed Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and other documents that allowed them to legally stay in Pakistan.
They said it was “unprecedented” that people born in Pakistan and Pakistani citizens by virtue of the country’s Citizenship Act were being banished.
“It is nothing less than a crime to remain silent over the refoulement of fellow humans to imminent misery and persecution,” the petitioners added, calling on the Supreme Court to secure the “life, liberty and dignity” of asylum seekers and refugees in Pakistan.
“We also seek directions to the UNHCR and the international community to fulfill their duty and commitment to speedily process all pending cases of asylum seekers/refugees.”
The government has set up 49 deportation centers to temporarily house illegal migrants, including an estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghans.
Although the government insists its expulsion order does not specifically target Afghans, they form the largest number of undocumented foreigners in the South Asian nation, many of them having lived in Pakistan their entire lives. Also, since the deadline announcement, Islamabad has blamed Afghans for multiple militant attacks, including 14 of this year’s 24 suicide bombings. The government also says hosting millions of refugees has drained its resources amid an economic crisis.
