KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a motion on Tuesday demanding the expulsion of all illegal immigrants from the province. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle described these immigrants as a “burden” on resources and a “root cause of terrorism and street crimes.”
The motion, which was adopted after a discussion on an adjournment motion tabled by PPP lawmaker Heer Soho, states: “This Assembly is of the opinion that illegal immigrants residing in the Province Of Sindh belonging to other countries be extradited to their original countries.”
Tensions rose during the debate when Heer Soho, in her opening speech, included the Bihari community among the illegal immigrants. This sparked a strong protest from MQM-P members, who condemned her remarks. The controversy led to Soho’s comments being expunged from the official proceedings at the request of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Lanjar.
Despite the heated exchange, all members ultimately supported the motion. However, the debate shifted focus as members took the opportunity to address other grievances. An MQM-P member from Orangi Town expressed pride in the Bihari community and criticized Soho’s remarks. Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani clarified that illegal immigrants referred to those living in the country without authorization, not any specific community.
Former Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani supported the motion but emphasized that the deportation of illegal immigrants falls under federal jurisdiction. He noted that no country permits indefinite stays for illegal immigrants.
Jamaat-i-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq also criticized the remarks about Biharis and called for the repatriation of stranded Biharis from Bangladesh in a respectful manner. He urged for a system to identify and deport illegal immigrants, asserting that Muhajirs had a rightful place in Pakistan.
MQM-P MPA Muhammad Daniyal highlighted that the issue of illegal Afghan immigrants had been raised 20 years ago and stressed that Sindh was at the forefront of addressing this issue. He called for the expulsion of illegal immigrants from the country.
PPP’s Fayaz Ali Butt suggested that illegal immigrants should be registered and documented, including those residing in madressahs. He proposed that they be brought under the tax net until deported.
MQM-P MPA Kiran Masood claimed that Karachi was particularly affected by illegal immigrants, alleging involvement in garbage collection, house robberies, and drug peddling.
The assembly was adjourned until Friday.
