Pakistan Friday announced it had suspended its agreement on the readmission of illegal immigrants with European Union countries, except Britain, because of its “blatant misuse”, state media reported. The 2010 agreement aimed to facilitate the return of Pakistani illegal immigrants and other nationals who had transited through Pakistan before arriving in the EU. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said European countries were misusing the agreement. “Pakistanis travelling illegally to any Western country are to be deported after proper verification” of their nationality and other relevant details from Pakistan, state-run Radio Pakistan quoted Khan as telling local media in Islamabad.But, he said, “most of the (Western) countries are deporting people without verification by Pakistani authorities”. Khan said 90,000 people were sent back to Pakistan from various countries last year alone.”Another dangerous trend has emerged for the last several months under which Pakistanis travelling abroad without documents are deported on charges of terrorism without verification whether or not they are actually Pakistanis,” he said. The minister did not say when the agreement was suspended or name any country which had recently deported Pakistanis on charges of terrorism.
European Union delegation officials contacted in Islamabad expressed ignorance of the move. The Minister claimed that over the past year over 90,000 have been deported back to Pakistan – a large number – and that a portion of these have been sent back without proper verification, on trumped up charges, and sometimes without even determining if they actually hold Pakistani nationality. Caution is wise. The influx of undocumented foreigners has been the bane of Pakistan’s counter terrorism operations. Looking at the broader picture, a proper and sustained policy is needed which can provide assistance to Pakistanis facing legal issues abroad. For example, the Lahore High Court has recently raised the issue of Pakistanis languishing in foreign jails, while members of the Senate have also been critical of diplomatic missions’ attitudes when dealing with citizens in distress. One figure says over 8,000 Pakistanis are imprisoned abroad; around half of these individuals are incarcerated in the Gulf states. Often in these countries, the legal system is opaque and labyrinthine, and without the help of Pakistani missions able to provide legal aid according to local laws, navigating it can be a nightmare. In fact, there have been reports of some individuals remaining incarcerated in foreign jails despite completing their sentences, as well as indications that women and minors have also been put in jail. Those familiar with the issue say some foreign governments don’t cooperate with Pakistani missions when it comes to giving them access to citizens in detention. In this case, the matter must be taken up at the highest levels as consular access and the provision of legal help are a fundamental right of every Pakistani.
pk.shafaqna.com
