ISLAMABAD, 6 October 2005 — As the United States continues to enforce stringent immigration laws, 79 Pakistanis, expelled for their involvement in minor crimes, arrived in Islamabad yesterday, officials said.
“These Pakistanis returned by a special flight and the authorities are presently verifying their travel documents before allowing them to leave Islamabad Airport,” officials said.
Most of the deportees were said to be involved in minor crimes such as illegal stay and put in different jails under “inhospitable” conditions before their expulsion.
Reports about manhandling of Pakistani prisoners in the jails have circulated for some time, and a number of those who recently returned to Pakistan said they faced “rough treatment “ in the US jails.
The US immigration authorities arrested hundreds of Pakistanis after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. A number of them were arrested on account of insufficient immigration papers when they appeared for their registration under the new US immigration laws.
The airport officials said that another group of deported Pakistanis might arrive in Islamabad soon but did not specify how many they might be or the date of their arrival.
Meanwhile, the British High Commission said Pakistan handed over three suspects to Britain for questioning yesterday over the murder of a 15-year-old Scottish schoolboy.
Local officials have named the men as 29-year-old Imran Shahid, nicknamed Baldy, his younger brother Zeeshan Shahid, alias Crazy, and their cousin Faisal Mushtaq, all Britons of Pakistani origin.
