A group of academics on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s campaign to “en masse deport Afghans” and seeking orders to restrain law enforcement agencies from implementing the decision.
The plea, filed by six faculty members of the Lahore University of Management Sciences under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, has been fixed for hearing on Dec 1.
Article 184 (3) empowers the Supreme Court to hear cases from individuals who believe their fundamental rights have been violated and the issue is of public importance or take suo motu action (act on its own initiative).
In November, the government initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the caretakers refused to budge, insisting the move was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
