PESHAWAR:
With Eid celebrations coming to an end, operations against undocumented Afghan refugees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are likely to gain momentum again, according to reliable sources.
A temporary halt to arrests was imposed during the Eid period to allow families to observe the holiday peacefully. Now, law enforcement agencies are ready to resume strict actions under relevant laws, targeting those who do not have valid documents.
The process of closing nine Afghan refugee camps, interrupted during the holidays, will resume shortly after the end of the holidays. Meanwhile, a large-scale voluntary repatriation drive for Afghan nationals is expected to begin from tomorrow, encouraging those who wish to return to Afghanistan.
For Afghan refugees holding citizenship cards, policy measures have already been put in place to determine their future status. In Peshawar, a new survey to update refugee data has resumed, with detailed information to be compiled over the next week.
Particular emphasis will be placed on collecting information on refugee business owners, those who obtained Pakistani identity documents illegally, Afghan women married to Pakistani men and other mixed status cases. Authorities have also started collecting data on refugee-run businesses and their assets, which are worth millions of rupees.
Sources say instructions have been issued to expedite action against undocumented Afghan nationals who do not have proper documentation, signaling a new drive to enforce immigration regulations in the province.
The development follows an intensifying crackdown in Peshawar and other parts of KP, where thousands of people have been arrested in recent months as part of broader national efforts to combat illegal foreign residency. The post-Eid phase aims to build on existing registration and repatriation initiatives while addressing security and administrative concerns.
