Qatar- Pakistan issues new deportation policy
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A file photo of Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. AFP
ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan has issued notification of a new deportation policy under which several powers have been taken back from the Foreign Ministry.
Under the new deportation policy the Foreign Ministry no longer has the powers to issue emergency travel documents. The notification says the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and passport officials in the embassies will now be empowered to issue emergency identity cards or passports.
According to the Interior Ministry if a Pakistani national abroad doesn’t possess Pakistani identity card or passport or his ID card or passport expires then the Nadra and passport officers in the embassies will directly write to the Interior Ministry in this regard.
The Interior Ministry will issue emergency passports to applicants after verification from different departments.
A team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will interrogate such people on return to Pakistan as to whether they went abroad legally or illegally. The powers of issuing emergency travel documents previously rested with the Foreign Ministry.
However many Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia Qatar and Malaysia suffered due to it after which these powers were transferred to the Interior Ministry.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday directed Nadra to computerise the Pakistani visa process and its previous record.
Chairing a high-level meeting here he directed the Nadra authorities to continue the process of developing a data bank of international NGOs and continue updating the process. He said that this process would help facilitate the registered INGOs and make their working easy.
The meeting attended by chairman Nadra and senior officers of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) and FIA and minister for interior reviewed various issues including SOPs for deportee from different countries registration on INGOs process computerised visa regime and evolving a mechanism for rewarding police and FIA offices for showing good performance.
The minister directed the officials to finalise the SOPs on deportees by keeping in view their nature.
The meeting also revived in detail the steps taken to make the Nacta effective. The minister directed FIA to continue its operation against human smugglers and was briefed about legal process adopted against arrested human traffickers.
The minister also directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive policy and mechanism so as to give cash reward to those performing outstanding duties. He said that those officers showing good performance would be encouraged through rewards.
Meanwhile Ambassador-designate to Bahrain Javed Malik called on Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar at the Punjab House here on Saturday. The minister felicitated the ambassador on his new assignment.
Internews