‘Pakistan to start expelling illegal immigrants in phases from November 1’

islamabad: As the deadline loomed for all undocumented immigrants, including 1.7 million Afghan nationals, to leave Pakistan, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday said the caretaker government will start expelling these aliens in phases if they do not leave the country voluntarily.

Pakistan this month announced October 31 as the date for the removal of the illegal immigrants.

“After November 1, the state will commence its operation to expel aliens in phases,” The Express Tribune newspaper quoted Bugti as saying.

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 government has completed the geo-mapping and will locate illegal foreign nationals wherever they are,” he said, adding that they have established holding centres to keep illegal foreigners after the deadline.