Iraqi Foreign Ministry denies reports of 50,000 missing Pakistanis
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry announced that it had contacted Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who clarified that there had been a misunderstanding regarding the information he provided.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has refuted reports from Arab media outlets about the alleged disappearance of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry announced that it had contacted Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who clarified that there had been a misunderstanding regarding the information he provided.
The Pakistani authorities plan to summon the media outlet responsible for the inaccurate news to investigate the matter.
The Pakistani newspaper Al-Umma had quoted Minister Hussain as saying that "a large number of Pakistani visitors have disappeared in Iraq during their visits to religious shrines in recent years."
Read More: Disappearing around 50.000 Pakistani in Iraq
Additionally, Hussain mentioned that the Islamabad government is implementing measures to monitor individuals traveling abroad through illegal means.
Furthermore, the Pakistani newspaper Akhbar al-Alam reported that the passports of Pakistani visitors are being collected and seized at Iraqi border crossings before being organized into convoys divided into 136 groups.
Iraqi Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ahmed al-Asadi expressed concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in the country.
Al-Asadi stated, "Iraq has witnessed an influx of tourists from various countries during the past few days, including Pakistanis, but many of them have begun to engage in the labor market without the required legal permits."
He emphasized that the ministry would take necessary legal measures against violators.
