NAP apex body decides movement at Afghan border will be subject to passport, visa n Task force formed to seize properties, businesses of illegal residents n Those spreading propaganda will be dealt with under cyber laws n No room for armed political organisations or groups in country.

All illegal immigrants have 28 days to leave Pakistan: Solangi.

ISLAMABAD  -  The Apex Committee of the Na­tional Action Plan on Tuesday resolved to expel all illegal for­eign residents from the coun­try and take strict action against their businesses and properties. A task force has also been consti­tuted to scrutinise and do away with fake identity cards and business activities.

According to a press statement issued by PM Office on Tuesday, the committee met under Care­taker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar in the chair and also decided to widen the scope of ongoing action against illegal activities like drug smuggling, hoarding, smuggling of curren­cy and eatables, illegal money transfer and power theft.

Attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, rel­evant federal ministers, provin­cial chief ministers and heads of civil and military law enforce­ment agencies, the Apex Com­mittee decided that movement at the border would be subject to the passport and visa, in or­der to document the processes.

The task force that would work under the Interior Min­istry would help scrutinize the fake identity cards, businesses and properties in order to get rid of the same. The participants of the meeting reviewed the in­ternal security situation in the country with a view to overcome the challenges durably. They re­solved that despite all odds, the government would ensure the implementation of the Constitu­tion and the law as per the pub­lic aspirations.

The forum reiterated that the use of force was only the state’s mandate and no individual or group would be allowed to use the same. Besides, there was no room for armed political or­ganisations or groups and the people involved in such activi­ties would be dealt with strict­ly. In the meeting, it was also highlighted that Islam is a re­ligion of peace and the state would never allow anyone to in­terpret the religion just to serve its own political interests. The rights and religious freedom of the minorities were the compo­nents of Islam and Constitution of Pakistan and the state would ensure their provision.

The Apex Committee stressed that those spreading propagan­da and disinformation, should be dealt with strictly under cy­ber laws. The participants were informed that technical proce­dures were being devised for the awareness and implementa­tion of the laws, which were be­ing promulgated keeping in view the observance of the law and the convenience of the people.

The forum reiterated its re­solve that the principles of faith, unity and discipline would be followed in the true spirit and tireless efforts would contin­ue for the development of the country. The caretaker govern­ment on Tuesday said all illegal immigrants including Afghan nationals should leave the coun­try by November 1 warning that those failing to do so would be deported to their respective countries after the deadline.

Addressing a press confer­ence here, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said that the decision was tak­en in the meeting of the Apex Committee on the National Ac­tion Plan (NAP) held with Care­taker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar in the chair.

The meeting also decided that a task force would scrutinise fake identity cards illegally is­sued to foreign nationals, and their businesses and proper­ties in Pakistan, he said. Giving details of the high level huddle, the interior minister said that movement at the borders would only be subject to the passport and visa after November 1.

‘SUICIDE ATTACKS BY AFGHAN NATIONALS’

Bugti said that some 1.73 mil­lion unregistered Afghans were currently illegally living in the country. He said as many as 24 suicide attacks have taken place in Balochistan since January and pointed out that 14 of the suicide attacks out of total were carried by Afghan nationals.

He said a deadline had been given to illegal immigrants to voluntarily return to their coun­tries and said those failing to do it will be deported by law en­forcement agencies (LEAs).

Bugti said the same deadline would apply for entry into Pa­kistan without a passport or visa. He further said that peo­ple would not be able to enter the country without valid travel documents after Nov 1.

He said that e-tazkiras (elec­tronic Afghan identity cards) would be accepted till October 31 and afterwards passport and visa policy would apply for all. Furthermore, the minister said Nov 1 onwards an operation would be started by a task force already created in the interior ministry, that would target ille­gal properties and businesses owned by illegal immigrants or that were being run in collabo­ration with Pakistanis

“Our intelligence agencies and LEAs will find them and the au­thorities will seize those prop­erties and businesses.” Bug­ti said DNA testing would also be utilised to detect such peo­ple who had got Pakistani iden­tity cards despite not being Pa­kistani. The minister said a universal helpline number and a web portal were also being launched for people to come forward as anonymous infor­mants to give information about illegal ID cards, illegal immi­grants and other illegal practic­es such as smuggling and hoard­ing. He said that reward money would be offered to informants under the scheme.

He also said strict measures were also going to be taken against narcotics, smuggling and hoarding of commodities. He cautioned the monopoly of violence belonged to the state and it would allow no other en­tity to exercise it whether it was done under political violence, militancy, ethnicity, and reli­gion. He said the religious de­cree by Afghan Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada warn­ing Taliban members against carrying out attacks abroad was not being followed. He said there was no difference in opinion that attacks were be­ing carried out in Pakistan from Afghanistan and Afghan nation­als were involved in those. “We have evidence present in this connection ,” he said.

On the posting of Lieutenant General Munir Afsar as the new chairman of the National Data­base and Registration Authority, the minister said the appoint­ment was made after consid­ering the issue of national se­curity. He underlined that the new chairman was competent enough and had vast experience related to information technolo­gy and the digital space.

Meanwhile, Caretaker Minis­ter for Information and Broad­casting Murtaza Solangi has categorically stated that all ille­gal immigrants, residing in Pa­kistan, would have to leave the country within 28 days. In a so­cial media post on Tuesday, he said all illegal immigrants have 28 days to leave Pakistan.