PESHAWAR:
With the Eid celebrations over, operations against undocumented Afghan refugees across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are expected to pick up again, according to reliable sources.
A temporary halt to arrests had been imposed during the Eid period to allow families to observe the festival peacefully. Now, law enforcement agencies are ready to resume strict action under relevant laws, targeting those without valid documentation.
The process of closing nine Afghan refugee camps that have been paused for the holidays will resume shortly after the break ends. Meanwhile, a large-scale voluntary repatriation drive for Afghan nationals is scheduled to begin from tomorrow, encouraging those willing to return to Afghanistan.
For Afghan refugees with citizenship cards, policy-based measures are already in place to determine their future status. In Peshawar, a new study to update refugee data has begun, with detailed information to be produced over the coming week.
Particular focus will be placed on gathering information on business-owned refugees, those illegally granted Pakistani identity documents, Afghan women married to Pakistani men and other mixed-status cases. Authorities have also started collecting data on the businesses run by refugees and their assets, reportedly worth millions of rupees.
Sources indicate that instructions have been issued to speed up action against undocumented Afghan nationals who lack proper papers, signaling a renewed push to enforce immigration rules in the province.
This development follows earlier intensified crackdowns in Peshawar and other areas of KP, where thousands were detained in recent months amid broader national efforts to address illegal immigration. The post-Eid phase aims to build on existing registration and repatriation initiatives while addressing security and administrative concerns.
