The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee was told on Monday that organised Pakistani gangs were operating in South Africa and that some members of the community were allegedly involved in contract killings linked to business rivalries.
The committee, chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, received a briefing from the Pakistan High Commission in South Africa on the situation facing Pakistani nationals in the country.
Syed Jalal Zaidi told the committee that a large number of Pakistanis were living in South Africa illegally.
The High Commission said some Pakistanis had become involved in violent business disputes and alleged that contract killings were sometimes arranged against rivals.
Officials said there was a sizeable concentration of Pakistanis from Malakwal and Mandi Bahauddin in South Africa and claimed that some murder contracts were issued from Pakistan.
When the committee chairman asked who these people were, the High Commission said many had acquired South African citizenship.
Officials also told the committee that South African police investigations did not always follow procedures familiar to Pakistani authorities and described police corruption in the country as extremely high.
The High Commission stressed, however, that many Pakistanis were engaged in legitimate businesses and said criminal elements were damaging the reputation of the wider community.
It also said nationals of Ethiopia, Somalia and Bangladesh were sometimes mistakenly identified as Pakistanis.
Officials said tighter immigration controls had created difficulties for people travelling legally, while organised networks continued to facilitate illegal migration.
“The mafia operates in an organised manner. Those travelling legally face hurdles, yet illegal migrants continue to arrive,” the High Commission told the committee.
Senator Dinesh Kumar questioned the performance of the Federal Investigation Agency and asked for data on people involved in criminal activity in South Africa.
“There are question marks over the FIA’s performance,” he said.
The committee chairman also called for scrutiny of the FIA, questioning why illegal migration continued despite visits and inspections by the interior minister.
The High Commission said it did not have records of people who travelled illegally and added that major criminal gangs, including Pakistani gangs, were active in South Africa.
Officials further told the committee that South African authorities sometimes attributed serious crimes to Pakistani nationals.
The committee chairman questioned why Pakistanis were accused of introducing new forms of crime into the country.
The meeting was also told that recent protests in South Africa were not specifically directed against Pakistanis.
Responding to questions about detained or stranded Pakistanis, the foreign secretary said authorities verified nationality through NADRA records.
He said consular access was provided once complete details became available and confirmed Pakistani nationals were repatriated at the government’s expense where necessary.
The foreign secretary said Pakistani missions could not extend formal assistance until a person’s nationality had been established.
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