ISLAMABAD, Oct 08 (DNA): Caretaker Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has asked all the illegal foreigners to
voluntarily leave the country by 31st of this month to avoid state
action to forcibly repatriate them to their respective countries.

In an interview with the social media platform WE NEWS, he said all the
foreigners, who are illegally staying in Pakistan, irrespective of their
nationality, have been given a timeframe to leave the country and this
should not be bracketed with Afghans only.

Responding to a question, the Minister said the state of Pakistan is
fully capable to repatriate the illegal foreigners by force. He,
however, clarified that there will certainly be a strategy to send them
back in phased and orderly manner after the passage of the deadline of
31 October. He said there are around 1.7 million illegal foreigners
residing in Pakistan.

Talking about compassion of the state of Pakistan, Murtaza Solangi said
no country in the world has ever shown this empathy as demonstrated by
Pakistan towards the Afghan refugees in last 50 years. He continued to
say that the number of Afghans living lawfully in Pakistan will be
higher even if all the 1.7 million illegal foreigners are sent back to
their home countries.

The Minister further said Pakistan only wants to ensure safety and
security of its own citizens and national frontiers. He said soft
borders without any checks and balances are not acceptable to Pakistan.

He said Pakistan is ready to welcome people from across the globe after
obtaining proper visa and other necessary documentations as per entry
requirements for any other country of the world. He said no country,
including the United States or the United Kingdom, allows an individual
to infiltrate in its territory and illegally obtain passport and other
identity.

Responding to a question about the upcoming general elections, the
Minister for Information and Broadcasting said polls will be held on the
date to be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan. He said
announcing a poll-date not the prerogative of the interim set-up. He
said ECP is a constitutional body and fully empowered to organize
elections in the country.

Regarding PPP’s demand for a level playing field in the upcoming general
election, Murtaza Solangi said PPP is a leading political party of
Pakistan and is fully independent in having a stance over a particular
matter. He added that expressing concerns and raising issues are the
democratic, political and legal rights of every political party. He said
the country is virtually passing through an election phase as an
environment of electioneering can be witnessed in Pakistan.

Replying to another question, the Minister said ECP and the caretaker
government will ensure level playing field to all the registered
political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

To a question about the government’s response to PML-N Sepremo Nawaz
Sharif’s return to Pakistan scheduled this month, Murtaza Solangi said
he will be treated as per law and the constitution of the country.

He said Nawaz Sharif is a leader of a big political party and has been
thrice the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He said the former Prime Minister
had gone abroad with the permission of the courts and the government of
the day had let him go under a lawful process. He said now the return of
Nawaz Sharif will also be held under a lawful process and certainly the
law will take its course.

Answering a question about privatization of State Owned Enterprises, he
said it was the decision of the previous government and the parliament.
He said the caretaker government is only implementing those decisions.

When asked about any plan for the privatization of state media
organizations like Radio Pakistan, Pakistan Television Corporation and
the Associated Press of Pakistan, the Minister said these organizations
are public broadcasters and they should not be treated as ghee, sugar or
a power plant.

He said Radio Pakistan, PTV and APP are amongst the essential services
organizations and they are not meant to earn money. He said personally
he is against the privatization of national broadcasters as public
broadcasters all over the world, may it be the BBC, Deutsche Welle or
the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, popularly known as NHK, are funded
by the state.

However, individuals not aligned with the modern broadcasting system
should have no room in these organizations.