Islamabad, May 20 (IANS) Over 164,000 Pakistani nationals have been deported from various Gulf nations in the past five years, local media reported while citing official data presented in the country’s National Assembly.
In the data presented in the house, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has revealed that Saudi Arabia topped the list with 108,029 deportations, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 40,497, Oman with 9,814, Qatar with 2,971 and Bahrain with 2,779 cases, Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune reported.
The data was presented during an assembly session, where opposition members held protests over the denial of meetings with former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and alleged restrictions on accessing medical treatment, The Express Tribune reported.
In February, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted that the Gulf countries had stopped issuing visas to Pakistanis as mafia groups continue to export “beggars” to these nations.
Sharing a video on social media that revealed how beggars in Pakistan earn enough money to purchase houses through organised networks, Asif highlighted that this has prompted the Gulf nations to stop issuing visas to Pakistanis now.
The video showed a Pakistani man speaking with a child beggar and revealing how entire families work together to earn money through begging. Reacting to the video, Asif, highlighted a report by UAE’s leading daily Khaleej Times, said begging has become a profession that is quite organised.
“There are formal contractors who recruit children, women, and fake disabled people and earn billions. This same mafia exports these beggars to Gulf countries in the thousands.” He further mentioned that fed up by this, the Gulf nations have stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals.
Asif mentioned that Pakistani airport staff was also involved in these rackets and mentioned that this “business” is not possible in any city without the support of the administration and the police, Khaleej Times reported.
In the video, when asked by the interviewer about his earnings, the child shared details of what he and his three brothers make Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 12,000 on an average day. The boy revealed that his sibling “acts” and is not specially-abled and his family has purchased a house in Faisalabad.
–IANS
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