July 24, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, July 23: A group of 75 Pakistanis deported from the United States will arrive here on Thursday afternoon on a chartered flight, immigration sources told Dawn.

This will be the fifth such flight from the US bringing back deportees. Over 300 people have, so far, been repatriated from the US.

The immigration authorities have been asked to make arrangements for the purpose.

It has been learnt that there are still 130 Pakistanis languishing in different detention centres in the US. The list keeps on changing rapidly as the appeals of several detainees are being heard, while several others are being rounded up, the sources added.

The deportees arriving on the previous four flights brought back tales of maltreatment and agony during their detention. The deportations have been the cause of a generally unnoticed human tragedy — the break up of several families as many of those repatriated were married to American women.

Most of those who have been sent back were deportation absconders, while some had been convicted of different crimes.

The crimes in which these people had been convicted were theft, sexual abuse, possession of drugs, illegal entry and other minor offences.