Author: George Iype
Publication: Rediff
on Net
Date: July 14, 2000,
14 July 2000, rediff.com
They came, they stayed,
and they disappeared.
Without a trace.
The 'disappearance' of
visiting Pakistan nationals from different parts of India is among the
biggest problem that the intelligence agencies face today.
Recently, the central
government had sent a note to the home departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala to furnish details on how many Pakistanis have overstayed
or disappeared.
According to the Union
home ministry, India has about 12,000 "unwelcome guests" from Pakistan.
The police know the whereabouts of nearly 60 per cent of the overstaying
Pakistanis. The rest have gone underground.
The government estimates
that some 3,600 Pakistanis have thus went missing across the country. In
South India alone there are 1,500-odd Pakistanis who have gone "out of
view".
"In view of the disappearance
of Pakistanis from the city, we have imposed a very strict rule. All visiting
Pakistanis should register with the special branch of the city police as
soon as they land," says E Jayarami Reddy, deputy commissioner of police,
special branch.
Visiting Pakistani nationals
are expected to intimate the special branch within 24 hours of their arrival.
The other foreigners need to do so only within 14 days.
According to police records,
as of June 30, 2000, nearly 2,230 foreigners from 55 countries are staying
in Hyderabad, including 590 from the United States, 353 from Iran, 198
from the United Kingdom, 147 from Canada, 70 from China and six from Bangladesh.
As for the Pakistanis,
270 are staying in the city for a long period, while 191 are on short-term
visas. Though official records say only three Pakistanis are "out of view",
police sources said that at least 24 Pakistanis have gone underground in
the past six months.
The Pakistanis generally
come to Hyderabad to meet their relatives or friends. But some are ISI
operators who have signed up with subversive organisations like the Lashker-e-Toiba.
The police can book the
"out of view" Pakistanis under Section 3 and 14 of the Foreigners Act,
1946. "Once they go underground it is very difficult to nab them," says
a senior police officer. "Our most difficult task is to arrest the increasing
number of bona fide Pakistani visitors who act as ISI couriers."
