PM seeks parliamentarians’ advice on granting citizenships to immigrants

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday sought recommendations from parliamentarians over the government's proposal to grant citizenship to all Afghan and Bengali children born in the country. Imran Khan has said that Pakistan is working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for voluntary repatriation of Afghan Refugees to their homeland. Responding to the points of Akhtar Mengal regarding the status of Afghan refugees and Bengalis, the Prime Minister said his party had signed an agreement with BNP-Mengal for the return of these refugees. He, however, said that under the international convention the refugees cannot be forced to go back to their homeland. The prime minister pointed out that the Bengali families had been living in Karachi over the last fifty years. He said the policy regarding the settlement of Bengali families will be formulated after taking inputs from the Parliamentarians. “We have to frame a policy for the families who are now settled in Pakistan as it is a matter of human rights and humanity,” the PM said. He also said 1951 Act also stipulates that the children born in the country are citizens of Pakistan. Imran Khan said other countries are also following the same principle. He said street crimes in Karachi are increasing with the growing underclass in the city.