Caretaker Minister for Interior Sarfaz Bugti on Monday said that there was no pressure on the government to expel illegal foreign nationals.

Addressing a press conference while briefing the cabinet meeting on Monday, he said that the government’s stance on dealing with illegal individuals engaging in business activities.

The interim minister emphasized that strict legal actions for doing business with illegal immigrants and renting out homes, and they would be prosecuted under the Foreign Act.

On the other hand, interim Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi said that the cabinet has granted permission to private airline Fly Jinnah to operate international flights and this decision will enable the airline to offer international routes connecting destinations such as Afghanistan, Malaysia, the UAE, and other countries.

The caretaker minister further said that the Federal Cabinet also approved the Hajj Policy 2024, adding that 179,210 Pakistanis will be able to perform Hajj next year, whereas, the women will also be able to perform Hajj without a male guardian under the permission of Saudi Arabia.

He said under our repatriation policy, illegal Afghan residents will be kept in holding centers, nearest to their home stations, for two to three days from where they will leave to their own country.

He said all kind of facilities, including medical, are being ensured to these holding centers. He said to monitor the whole process, a special system is being introduced. He said in this regard, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has already accorded approval to a work plan.

Murtaza Solangi said the interim government has no political agenda and it is doing the work under constitutional domain.

Meanwhile, as the deadline for the voluntary return of Afghan residents in Balochistan has passed, the situation has become increasingly urgent. The caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan announced plans for a comprehensive operation to expel these illegal residents, adding that a grand operation is being planned to ensure compliance with immigration regulations as the deadline lapsed.

Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai has acknowledged the longstanding hospitality that Afghanistan has provided to Afghan refugees over a span of 40 years but expressed disappointment at the fact that some individuals have taken advantage of this hospitality for illegal purposes.

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