98,000 illegals residing in federal capital, NA told

Muhammad Anis Tuesday, September 17, 2013 From Print Edition News ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday told the National Assembly that around 98,000 illegal people, majority of them foreigners, were residing in slum areas in and around the federal capital. Responding to a question, the interior minister said the government had decided to regularise movement of these foreigners, most of them involved in the criminal activities. “We are requesting the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) through Islamabad administration to arrange repatriation of foreigners and if it is not possible immediately, we will regularise their movement,” Nisar said. He told the House that so far the slum areas located near sensitive areas around Bari Imam and sector G-12 had been cleared from foreigners.The National Assembly was informed that no foreign security company was allowed to operate in the country under the prescribed criteria for private security companies. Chaudhry Nisar said if any company was illegally operating in the country, strict action would be taken against those who issued visas in this regard.To another question, he said that there had been a complete ban on issuance of fresh licences of weapons for the last three months. “All cases of issuance of licenses where fee has been deposited before June 20, 2013 are being processed,” he said. He said during the last a few years, seventy thousand licences were issued which had resulted in the increase in crime rate.Replying to another supplementary question, he said the personnel of law enforcing agencies and intelligence agencies found involved in any illegal practice would be taken to task. In this connection, the interior minister referred to arrest of three immigration officials who cleared passengers holding fake travel documents and later they were arrested at Istanbul airport. In a written reply, the interior minister said that instructions had been issued to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passport to review all official passports issued during the last five years. He said an assistant director immigration and passport had also been suspended for issuing 49 official passports without any authority and an inquiry had also been initiated against him.He also recalled there were reports that an extortion money of over Rs6 million had been received from Fruits and Vegetable Market for the last 12 years and six accused including four police officers and two officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had been arrested in this connection. The PML-N member Shaikh Rohail Asghar expressed sorrow regarding absence of any strict law to deal with criminals who commit sexual assault on minor girls saying culprits should be hanged to death publicly.In response, Nisar offered the opposition and treasury benches to jointly bring a bill for legislation in this regard.