Illegally bringing prisoners from abroad Nisar warns officials of stern action

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday said stern action would be taken against government officials involved in illegally bringing back prisoners from abroad and then setting them free. Chairing a meeting of high ups of Interior Ministry here, he said the officials of ministry and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) involved in the illegal act would be brought to justice.
"The officials involved in the crime would be held accountable," he added. He expressed concern over bringing back of prisoners to Pakistan from aboard without the approval of Ministry of Interior.
The minister said in future no prisoner would be brought back to the country without approval of the Interior Ministry. Some 43 prisoners were brought back, 35 of them fled abroad. Only three were in the country jails, one of them went abroad for 19 times after leaving jail, he added.
He said it was unfortunate that cases of these persons were not pursued and their names were not put on the Exit Control List (ECL) which was a criminal negligence.
The convicts were awarded sentences of life imprisonment and death penalties, he added.
The minister said a citizen of Burma Ibrahim Koko was brought to Pakistan illegally from Thailand in connivance with the officials of Ministry of Interior and FIA. He asked as to why two officials went to Thailand to bring back Ibrahim Koko without the permission of the Interior Ministry?
The minister asked the officials of Ministry of Interior and FIA to work with honesty and devotion.
He said illegal acts brought bad name to Pakistan. Explanation of a number of officers had been called but their reply was still awaited, he added.