Police officers, NADRA workers check ID 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 staying Afghan nationals and other foreign nationals across 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 landlords for renting out properties to Afghan nationals without verification. According to officials, 216 Afghan nationals have been taken into custody and moved to a designated detention center.
Cases were registered at police stations across the city including Pirwadhai, Waris Khan, New Town, Ratta Amral and others.
The authorities have warned citizens against renting, selling or leasing properties, vehicles or shops to foreigners without valid documentation.
Police issued orders prohibiting employment or engaging in business transactions with illegal residents,” police said, urging the public to report undocumented individuals to nearby stations.
The Punjab government has also launched awareness campaigns through mosques and social media warning that violations will lead to legal action.
Meanwhile, official data in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa revealed that more than 828,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since repatriation efforts began.
On Friday alone, 5,220 refugees crossed the Torkham border, including 401 documented and 2,314 undocumented people.
Authorities said another 25,392 Afghans have been repatriated from other provinces, while 19 people were deported through KP transit points.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed that 7,261 Afghans were repatriated from prisons in Peshawar, Landi Kotal and Kohat, and another 1,326 refugees were temporarily detained before being sent back.
So far, the data shows that over 54,000 documented and 628,000 undocumented Afghans have been repatriated as Pakistan continues its efforts to regulate foreign residency and tighten border controls.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan on Saturday reopened the Torkham border crossing for Afghan refugees returning to their country, ending a nearly two-week closure following deadly clashes between border forces last month.
Meanwhile, nearly 10,700 people returned through the Chaman border in a single day as authorities extended the process to the crossing. According to officials, the process is carried out in accordance with legal and administrative protocols that ensure each person’s documents are verified before they cross the border.
Authorities assured that the repatriation initiative was carried out in a dignified and orderly manner and has now been extended to Torkham following the recent re-opening.
Officials said the Frontier Corps (FC) and the civil administration have set up temporary shelters, food supplies and medical facilities for departing families.
