QUETTA: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Deputy Director Akbar Baloch on Sunday said Iranian border security forces had deported 47 Pakistanis who were trying to make their way to Europe and the Gulf States.
| I dunno why I feel like Deputy Director Akbar should look like a fish... |
Mr Baloch said most of the Pakistanis had entered Iran on a tourist visa and had agents in Iran who facilitate their entry into Turkey and Greece. The 47 deportees belong to Sialkot, Gujrat, Gujranwala and Mandi Bahauddin. The deputy director said they were currently under FIA custody and would be sent back to their hometowns after âfulfilling legal requirementsâ.
The deportees told Daily Times that they had hired the services of agents who operated in their villages. Aftabullah, a resident of Paswal district in Gujrat, said an agent had promised to take him to Greece on a payment of Rs 350,000. He said he paid Rs 35,000 in advance. His journey started from Karachi. He and the other men entered Iran via Mand Balo. They stayed for a couple of days in Tehran and later walked and travelled in a trailer for about 24 hours to reach the Iran-Turkey border. They somehow managed to enter Istanbul but were later surrounded and arrested by Turkish police who raided their hideout. Aftab said he and the others were searched and deported back to Iran and subsequently Pakistan âempty handedâ.
| I wonder how many of these guys are honest migrant workers, with the requisite Pak love of false documents, and how many are Qaeda or similar agents. I'd wager that it's a thorough mix. |
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