Police officers and NADRA employees check the identity cards of Afghan citizens at an Afghan camp on the outskirts of Karachi, November 21, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:
A day after repatriations resumed, authorities on Sunday intensified their crackdown on illegally residing Afghan nationals and other foreign citizens in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recording dozens of cases and arresting hundreds 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 authorities, 216 Afghan citizens were arrested and transferred to a designated detention center.
Complaints were lodged at police stations across the city, including Pirwadhai, Waris Khan, New Town, Ratta Amral and others.
Authorities warned citizens against renting, selling or leasing properties, vehicles or stores to foreigners without valid documents.
Police have issued orders prohibiting employment or business transactions with illegal residents,” police said, urging the public to report undocumented people to nearby police stations.
The Punjab government also launched awareness campaigns in mosques and on social media, warning that violations would result in legal action.
Meanwhile, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, official data revealed that more than 828,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since the start of the repatriation drive.
On Friday alone, 5,220 refugees crossed the Torkham border, including 401 documented and 2,314 undocumented.
Authorities said another 25,392 Afghans were repatriated from other provinces, while 19 people were deported via KP transit points.
The Interior Ministry confirmed that 7,261 Afghans had been repatriated from prisons in Peshawar, Landi Kotal and Kohat, and that another 1,326 refugees were being held temporarily before being sent back.
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 foreign residency and strengthen border controls.
Pertinently, Pakistan on Saturday reopened the Torkham border post to returning Afghan refugees, 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, with authorities expanding the process at the 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 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 had arranged temporary shelters, food supplies and medical facilities for the departing families.
