Illegal Afghan immigrants multiplying crime stats

Members Punjab Assembly are of the considered opinion that illegal Afghan immigrants are indulging in heinous crimes, and in their areas of concentration, crime stats have climbed all time high, whereas the government machinery has become helpless.
However, the Treasury had implicitly admitted MPAs’ assertions besides maintaining that the law enforcement agencies were carrying out operations against the illegal immigrants, and quite a few of them had been challaned so far after police investigations. Secondly, it was also mentioned that the Afghans were being closely watched, and if they were found involved, cases were registered against them.
They were discussing the issue during the Question-Hour about the Home Department on Friday.
Earlier, when Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan reached the Floor at 10:15am – late by an hour and 15minutes himself – there was not even a single member sitting on the Floor. When recitation of the Holy Quran and Na'at was being done, N-League’s Khawaja Imran Nazir, Mian Naseer Ahmed and Muhammad Naveed Anjum came in running to be an audience to the Speaker. Later, they were joined by Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan and a few other MPAs. However, till 10:45am, no member from the PPP was sitting on the Floor.
PML-N’s Naveed Anjum quizzed the govt about the veracity of a large number of Afghans around the Data Darbar area and their indulgence in various crimes, and whether the govt was taking any action against them. To this, Law Minister replied that four FIRs had been registered under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, besides carrying out a grand operation against them.
While referring to a news item, Opposition’s Muhammad Shafique Khan questioned the govt about concentration of Afghans immigrants at tehsil Taxila, and steep increase in the crime rate, which had resulted in overall insecurity of the residents. “FIRs are not registered, whereas issues of kidnappings and vehicle lifting are resolved through deals,” he mentioned when Rana Sana had said govt had directed law enforcement agencies for the implementation of the rules. Shafique Khan was dissatisfied with the reply, but he was made to go quiet by asking him to have one-on-one talk to the minister later on.
Law Minister negated Opposition member Sher Ali Khan’s assertion that number of Afghanis had increased hugely in Fateh Jhang, and they were involved in land buying. However, the Minister conceded that during 2008-09, 17 FIRs were registered against the Afghanis. “All SDPOs and SHOs have been directed to ensure protections of citizens,” he added.
To Ayesha Javed’s query, Rana Sana told the House that during the last two years, the police department had taken disciplinary action, including suspension and demotion, against 18 DSPs, 751 Inspectors, 4019 Sub-Inspectors, 2204 ASIs and 698 constables.