KARACHI – The Sindh government had announced forming the department of Illegal Immigrants Affairs (IIA) in May 2008 and a provincial minister was also appointed to oversee the department; however, after the passage of almost three years, a secretary, a section officer or a clerk have yet to be appointed.
Sources told Pakistan Today that the IIA department seems to be a “dumped department” of the provincial government.
Sindh receives a higher number of illegal immigrants than any other part of the country, and this number is increasing every year; to tackle this problem, the Pakistan People’s Party government had decided to establish a separate department.
On May 8, 2008, notification of constituting the IIA department was issued and Agha Taimoor Khan was appointed as the IIA Minister; however, since issuing the notification, the provincial government has seemingly forgotten about the department and done nothing to activate it.
Only a notification was issued and a plaque of the ministry was fixed outside the office of provincial minister Agha Taimoor Khan on the third floor of the Old KDA building of the Sindh Secretariat.
“We had received only a notification about the department. We do not know why it was never activated,” Section Officer of the Cabinet Division of the Sindh Services and General Administration Department, Rehman Khaskheli, told Pakistan Today on Thursday.
Private Secretary to Sindh Minister for Narcotics Control and Illegal Immigrants Affairs Agha Taimoor Khan, Ghulam Shabbir Shah, told Pakistan Today that the provincial government had notified only the name of the department.
Shah said that Khan had approached the authorities concerned time and again for activating the department, but the affairs of the department are yet to be finalised.
Sources said that due to pressure from different quarters, the provincial government, especially Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, had lost interest in addressing an important issue of the province.
The departments of Rehabilitation, Electric Power, and Special Initiatives have been formed recently, and ministers appointed to oversee their affairs; within a short amount of time, infrastructure for these departments was established, separate secretariats formed, and secretaries, directors, section officers and other staff appointed.
According to figures released by the government, the number of illegal immigrants in Karachi has reached approximately 2 million; average monthly income of an immigrant is Rs 6,000 and annual remittance comes to Rs 8 billion.
Sindh and its costal area, especially Karachi, are considered paradise for illegal immigrants; people from Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Burma, Sri Lanka and other countries illegally arrive in Sindh to permanently settle here.
According to surveys conducted in 1988 and 1993 by different government agencies, the number of Bengalis in Karachi was 378,125 in 1989; Afghans 96,070; Iranians 10,470; Sri Lankans 445; and Burmese 26,725.
The total population of illegal immigrants was 511,835 that year and it increased in 1993, reaching up to 1,455,462 with 1,164,793 Bengalis; 83,823 Afghans (Afghan refugees are not considered as illegal immigrants at the government level); and 204,448 Burmese; the number of Iranian and Sri Lankan immigrants had decreased by then.
Another report compiled by the government in 1997 revealed that there were 3.5 million illegal immigrants in the country, and the number of illegal immigrants in Karachi was 2,216,432.
Illegal immigrants are present in every part of the city; however, the areas mentioned in the report are Abbasi Nagar, Labour Square, Korangi No 3, Bengali Camp 50-A, 100 Quarters, Bilal Colony, Awami Chowk and Darul Uloom Market in the Korangi police precincts; KDA Filter Plan and Gulshan-e-Iqbal in the Aziz Bhatti police precincts; Ittehad Colony, Sector 84 and Bengali Para in the Ibrahim Hyderi police precincts; Sharif Colony, Khwaja Ahmed Colony and 36/G in the Landhi police precincts; PIB Colony, Naddi and Nafilabad in the New Town police precincts.
Moreover, the area behind Novelty Cinema, Teen Hatti and Ghulam Hussain Para in the Jamshed Quarters police precincts; Ziaul Haq Colony, Quaid-e-Azam Colony, Madina City Mall area, Ratan Talo, Ameerabad, Lasi Para, Pathan Colony; Quaidabad, Bahadurabad, Shershah, Pak Colony, Orangi Town, Baldia Town, Mominabad, Baldia Town, Mochko, Surjani, Nasirabad, Gulbahar, North Nazimabad, Sharifabad, Sector 15-B, New Sabzi Mandi, Allah Wali Masjid, Godra Camp, Neelam Colony, Shah Rasool Colony, Shirin Jinnah Colony, Agra Taj, Bihar Colony, Lyari Naddi, Namanzoor Akhtar, Kasur Colony, Moosa Lines, Hingora Para and Daryaabad.
Another list of localities of illegal immigrants in Karachi has been issued by the Sindh headquarters of the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) in Karachi on April 6, 2002.
Different NADRA centres have been advised to carefully look over the 101 mentioned localities where illegal immigrants are residing.
Sources said that Lahore, Qasur, Bahawalpur, Chhor and Badin are used as gateways to enter the country; agents charge between 10,000 takas and 25,000 takas for helping people illegally enter Pakistani territories.
The issue of illegal immigrants is becoming a bigger threat to the Pakistani society; the interior division is unable to take serious notice of it, and unsuccessful efforts are being made to resolve the issue, thereby worsening the situation.
Besides being a threat to national security, a large number of illegal immigrants cause innumerable problems by being a burden on the society in terms of education, health, transport, communication, land (shanty towns and encroachments), power, water, civic amenities, environment and employment opportunities.
