US deported 190 Pakistanis: Pak minister told Parliament

Islamabad, Feb 3 (PTI) The US deported 190 Pakistanisafter arresting them on different charges during the past twoyears, according to information provided to Parliament by thegovernment today.

The US Department of Homeland Security did notintimate the Pakistani Embassy or consulates about the reasonsfor such arrests or the place where prisoners are detaineduntil its investigations are completed, Minister of State forForeign Affairs Malik Amad Khan said.

"We only come to know when the US Departments ofImmigration, Customs and Enforcement approach us for issuanceof travel document, while prisoners who complete theirsentence are repatriated to Pakistan at US expense," he toldthe National Assembly or lower house of Parliament duringquestion hour.

Members of the Pakistani community are generallyimprisoned in US jails on charges like overstaying, domesticviolence, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, illegal armspossession and other minor crimes, Khan said.

"Even after prosecution and sentencing, the deporteeschoose to stay back in the US and prefer to contest theremoval orders rather than repatriation to Pakistan," he said.

In a separate development, the Foreign Ministryinformed the National Assembly that 1,211 Pakistani prisoners,including 15 women, were currently in jails in the United ArabEmirates.

In a written reply, the ministry said the Pakistaniswere being held in jails in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras AlKhaimah, Umm-ul-Quain, Ajman and Fujairah.

The Pakistani were arrested on charges like possessionof drugs, theft, assault, murder, embezzlement, immoralbehaviour, rape, prostitution, kidnapping and bribery.