Yesterday, the police arrested in the upper Artibonite ten Pakistanis, who had no passports and no identity documents on them [according to the latest information they had on them a copy of their passport and a letter issued by the immigration]. According to information provided by the judicial authorities, the members of this group are at the origin from Pakistan but have traveled in a certain number of countries before arriving in Haiti, South Africa, Trinidad and Jamaica.

According to Me Méchack Philogène, the Government Commissioner of Gonaïves these Pakistanis are in the country as part of a walking tour that they do in order to meet Muslim brothers, they had to do the route Port-au-Prince - Cap Haitien, but they were arrested in Gonaïves.

The Commissioner indicates that the measure of retention that he had taken, was intended to protect people, they will be released when the immigration authorities will have done their job. Still according Me Méchack Philogène, after discussions with these "pilgrims", they had no documents on them because they did not want that bandits steal their documents.

Recall that in Haiti, there is according to a study made in 2005, 2013 Muslims representing 0.02% of the population. There are also mosques throughout the country, to Delmas 18 the mosque Al-Fatiha, to Carrefour Feuilles the Spiritual Centre Allahou Akbar, to Bois Verna the mosque At-Taweed which is also the fundamental school of Islam, in Cap Haitien the Islamic Centre of the Mosque of Bilal, to Miragoâne the mosque The Light of Islam.

It is also important to note the presence on the national territory of 294 soldiers of the Minustah coming from Pakistan, whose a part of them is housed in a base to the Gonaïves.

HL/ HaitiLibre