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Joint India-Pakistan chartered flight to bring back deported nationals
ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has requested the Pakistani embassy to allow a chartered flight to Islamabad for deportation of 107 Pakistani nationals, it was learnt reliably.
Copies of documents available with Pakistan Today disclose that the US has decided to deport 107 Pakistani nationals due to their alleged involvement in different crimes.
The individuals who are to be deported and are currently incarcerated in US prisons were found guilty from 1996 to February 2018 of various crimes such as terrorism, immigration violations, fraud, false citizenship, sexual assault, sex offence, gambling, drug possession, possession of a weapon, traffic offence and disorderly conduct.
Out of 107 Pakistanis named by the ICE, only one Pakistani, Kashif Nauman, is being deported on terrorism charges.
The US Department of Homeland Security ICE presented an official request to the Pakistani embassy in Washington to grant permission to the ICE to conduct a charter mission for deportation of Pakistani nationals to Islamabad during the week of April 23, 2018.
“We currently have a manifest of 107 subjects to present with final orders of removal that are currently in the identity verification process. ICE respectfully requests the embassy to provide an official response to accept the charter proposal,” US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in the official request to Pakistan’s embassy.
It has been learnt, on the other hand, that the verification of the citizenship of 55 US prisoners has become a herculean task for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
According to documents, 35 Pakistani nationals are in US prisons only because of violations of immigration rules, while 11 Pakistanis are in detention due to sex offences and 18 persons are allegedly involved in drug possession and possession of arms.
According to the letters of US Department of Homeland Security ICE to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, detailed meetings coupled with a discussion on the deportation of 107 Pakistani nationals were held between the two sides in Washington to reach an amicable arrangement for the Pakistani nationals’ repatriation.
During the meeting, three officials of the US Department of Homeland Security ICE, namely First Secretary Political Affairs Seth Blaylock, Political Officer Josanda E. Jinnette and Detention and Deportation Officer Tom Persad attended the meeting with officials of Pakistan’s embassy in Washington.
It is pertinent to mention that it is not just Pakistani nationals which are to be deported from the US. ICE conducted meetings with both Pakistani and Indian officials and resolved to charter a joint flight to carry out the deportations of the individuals belonging to both the countries.
The jointly agreed chartered flight will first go to India to hand over the Indian prisoners and later this flight will arrive in Pakistan to lay off the Pakistani nationals.