Police officers and NADRA workers check the identification cards of Afghan citizens at an Afghan camp on the outskirts of Karachi, November 21, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:
A day after repatriation resumed, authorities on Sunday intensified their crackdown on illegally residing Afghan nationals and other foreign nationals in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, registering dozens of cases and detaining hundreds of people for deportation.
In Rawalpindi, police registered 63 cases in the last five days and arrested 18 owners for renting properties to Afghan nationals without verification. According to officials, 216 Afghan citizens have been detained and transferred to a designated detention center.
The cases were filed at police stations across the city, including Pirwadhai, Waris Khan, New Town, Ratta Amral and others.
Authorities have warned citizens not to rent, sell or lease property, vehicles or shops to foreigners without valid documentation.
“Police issued orders prohibiting employing or transacting business with illegal residents,” police said, urging the public to report undocumented individuals at nearby stations.
The Punjab government has also launched awareness campaigns through mosques and social media, warning that violations will lead to legal action.
Meanwhile, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, official data revealed that more than 828,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since the repatriation campaign began.
On Friday alone, 5,220 refugees crossed the Torkham border, including 401 documented and 2,314 undocumented people.
Officials said another 25,392 Afghans have been repatriated from other provinces, while 19 people were deported through KP transit points.
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that 7,261 Afghans were repatriated from prisons in Peshawar, Landi Kotal and Kohat, and another 1,326 refugees were temporarily held before being returned.
So far, data shows that more than 54,000 documented and 628,000 undocumented Afghans have been repatriated, as Pakistan continues its efforts to regulate residence abroad and tighten border controls.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan on Saturday reopened the Torkham border crossing for returning Afghan refugees, ending a nearly two-week closure following deadly clashes between border forces last month.
Meanwhile, nearly 10,700 people returned across the Chaman border in a single day as authorities expanded the process to crossing. According to officials, the process is carried out in accordance with legal and administrative protocols, ensuring that each individual’s documents are verified before crossing the border.
The authorities assured that the repatriation initiative was being carried out in a dignified and orderly manner and has now been extended to Torkham following its recent reopening.
Officials said the Frontier Corps (FC) and civil administration have set up temporary shelters, food supplies and medical facilities for departing families.
