LAHORE: Police arrested over 150 foreigners, mostly Afghans and Arabs and some African religious students, for living in Pakistan illegally, police and security officials said on Tuesday.
| "Arrest us if you will! This is such a nize place, we just couldn't bear to leave!" |
The arrests were made during a weeklong operation in Punjab and the arrested men are being interrogated at various detention facilities, said Tariq Saleem, deputy police inspector general. However, he would not say whether the suspects had any links with terror groups. âI am not in a position to say anything about it at this stage,â he said.
Mr Saleem said the raids were carried out by police in major cities in the province, including Lahore, after authorities received reports that some foreigners were involved in âcriminal activitiesâ.
| Brief vision of Pak cops plunging six abreast into the steamy underworld of Punjab, getting the hairy eyeball from people named Muggsy and Butch and Mahmoud... |
An intelligence official said at least two suspects arrested in Faisalabad were believed to have been involved in âanti-state activities. They might have links with Al Qaeda and Taliban.â
| That's never happened before... Has it? |
He gave no other details.
Pakistan in recent years has taken several steps to reduce the number of militants in its seminaries. Under a government policy, no foreign student can stay in Pakistan without getting clearance from his own embassy and the Interior Ministry. |