"THERE WOULD BE NO MERCY ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS,"

Illegal Immigrants Get Two Weeks To Leave Karachi: Minister

ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday asked Afghans and other immigrants living in the southern city of Karachi to leave in two weeks or face a major crackdown, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

Officials said that thousands of Afghans, Bengalis and immigrants from several other countries are living illegally in Karachi, the country's commercial center.

Malik said that a major crackdown will be launched against illegal immigrants in Karachi after two weeks, Xinhua said.

"There would be no mercy on illegal immigrants," he said to reporters after he appeared in a Karachi Accountability Court where he is facing corruption charges.

He said that local police officials will be responsible to check all illegal immigrants in Karachi, saying that a survey will be conducted to trace the illegal immigrants.

He said all illegal immigrants will be deported to their own countries, adding that the respective countries of the immigrants will be coordinated on the action.

However, he said that registered Afghans will not be expelled.

Talking about the explosion on Friday, he said that suspects from the insurgency-hit Swat valley had arrived in Karachi and were staying in the house where the explosion occurred earlier in the morning.

Police said that those killed in the explosion were planning to use the explosives for terrorist acts in Karachi.