Quetta:
The High Court of Balutchistan has prohibited provincial authorities from force forcibly expelling Afghan refugees with valid evidence of registration cards (POR), as the federal government intensifies its continuous repression of undocumented immigrants.
The order was made in response to a constitutional petition deposited by an Afghan refugee residing in Quetta.
A division bench including chief judge Ejaz Khan Swati and judge Mohammad Amir Nawaz Rana judged that Afghan refugees with por cards cannot be expelled from the country before June 30.
Nusrat Afghan, lawyer for the Afghan Union group (August), praised the decision, claiming that the decision strengthens the legal law of documented refugees to stay in the country until mid-2025.
Federal repression – launched by police and surveys after a deadline published by the Ministry of the Interior – has triggered an alarm among humanitarian organizations and legal experts, which emphasize that the rights of documented refugees must be safeguarded under Pakistani and international law.
In Balutchistan, the journey has grown, with a particular accent on Afghan nationals residing in various districts.
According to police sources, eight families have been expelled from Quetta, while dozens of others voluntarily returned to Afghanistan via the Porte de l’Amitié to the border of Shaman.
The authorities applied strict security measures during the expulsion process to maintain public order.
Meanwhile, repression against undocumented Afghan nationals intensified in Rawalpindi on Saturday, the police holding 140 additional people, bringing the total number of prisoners in the city to 190.
All detainees were moved to a temporary detention center established at the Haji camp, from where they will be expelled in Afghanistan after additional treatment, the police said.
Operations are part of the federal government’s current campaign to repatriate illegally residing with foreign nationals.
In this regard, the Inspector General of Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar, chaired a high -level meeting to examine the status of deportations through the province, including Lahore.
Ig Punjab said that the process of expulsion for unpaid -papers of the Punjab continues without interruption. “More than 1,000 of these people have already been transferred to designated detention centers,” said Punjab police spokesperson.
Currently, 2,353 undocumented strangers are detained at various points of detention, while 203 have already been expelled with the help of the federal agencies concerned, added the spokesperson.
Dr. Usman Anwar said that coordination with federal services is underway and that transfers are made from points identified to eliminate these people from the competence of Punjab.
He stressed that the maintenance points were used as temporary installations, and district administrations are responsible for arrangements, including transport, food and logistics. The IG also indicated that security is maintained on high alert throughout the expulsion process.
All RPOs and DPOs were responsible for accelerating the expulsion campaign and ensuring the rapid repatriation of all undocumented foreigners, as part of the directives of the federal government.
He stressed that operations should continue on the basis of the information collected by the special branch, the CTD and other security and intelligence agencies.
The IG also ordered an in -depth mapping, digitization and screening of undocumented foreigners, with full respect for human rights to be provided at each stage of the process.
District police were invited to maintain close coordination with local administrations and other relevant services.
The meeting was followed by senior police officials, including additional social and finance companies IG Imran Arshad, IG CCD Sohail Zafar Chattha, Dig-i Suleman Sultan Rana, Dig. Salamat.
All the RPO, CPO and DPO joined via the video link.
Cartography, current deportations
Under the supervision of the foreign national security unit, operations against undocumented Afghan nationals remain booming. Over the past two days, 1,085 individuals have been repatriated via the Torkham border crossing.
According to a spokesperson, 1,359 ACCA holders were expelled on Saturday from areas through Punjab. Measures are also taken against undocumented ACC holders.
The ministry’s special unit monitors and coordinates efforts across the province, receiving daily reports from all districts, added the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the Peshawar authorities launched the mapping of undocumented foreign nationals illegally residing in the city, identifying more than 100,000 people during the initial phase of the operation.
According to police sources, the cartography process aims to determine the concentration and locations of undocumented foreigners in various fields of the provincial capital.
To facilitate the operation, more than 90 dedicated teams have been trained, including police staff, district administration and other relevant services. More than 200 police officers were deployed specifically for the cartography exercise in Peshawar.
In parallel, security quotas have been deployed in the detention centers located in the Peshawar and Khyber districts. Each of the two centers received 230 safety staff to provide smooth operations and safety.
Meanwhile, the district administration reported the identification of more than 160,000 people holding the ACC in Peshawar. Officials said measures will be taken against them. However, the formal instructions to proceed against undocumented foreigners have not yet been issued.
Currently, illegal foreign nationals are voluntarily repatriated.
(With an additional input of our correspondents to Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar)
