Question : ILLEGAL PAK IMMIGRANTS

(a) whether it is a fact that Pakistani nationals keep on staying in the country without extending the visa;

(b) if so, the reasons for these nationals to stay illegally and the steps proposed to be taken to plug all loopholes in this regard;

(c) whether several Pakistani nationals often indulge in petty crimes to prolong their stay in India and the courts of law give them bail to try them for their crimes;

(d) if so, the reasons for giving them the same treatment as the Indians;

(e) whether it has also come to the notice of the Government that most of the cases take several years in the court and most of them use their stay to develop contacts in the underworld who can be trusted with carrying out the ISI plans;

(f) if so, the number of such Pakistani nationals whose cases are pending in the Indian Courts and since when; and (g) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

(SHRI CH. VIDYASAGAR RAO)

(a) to (g): A number of Pak nationals stay back without getting their visa extended, on account of various factors, such as family ties, or, better economic conditions in India, and, threat or persecution of persons belonging to minority communities in Pakistan, etc. A few overstaying Pak nationals, on receipt of Leave India Notices, file petitions in Courts of Law, for prolonging their stay in India. The State Governments and UT

Administrations are competent to defend these cases under the powers entrusted to them under the Passport (Entry into India) Act 1920, Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Rules and Orders issued thereunder. As such, the data about such cases filed by Pak nationals are not available centrally. The Government of India are also not aware of any instances of any such Pak nationals indulging in petty crimes to prolong their stay in India. The possibility of some of such Pak nationals having links with the ISI, cannot be ruled out. In order to sensitise all the State Governments and UT Administrations, administrative instructions are issued to them from time to time to launch special drives to detect and deport them.