The process of evacuating Afghan citizens living illegally in Pakistan has officially begun, with 16 trucks carrying 20 families reaching the Torkham border on Thursday. These families, comprising a total of 350 individuals, will be permitted to enter Afghanistan following the completion of necessary legal requirements.
In a parallel development, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) executed the demolition of an illegal Afghan settlement near Margalla Town in Islamabad as per the directives of the federal government. This action is part of a broader crackdown against illegal Afghan residents that has been underway for nearly two months.
According to a police spokesperson, a total of 1,126 individuals were screened in various operations. Among them, 623 people were released upon presenting valid identification documents, while 503 individuals were incarcerated for lacking proper documentation. The spokesperson elaborated that these 503 individuals are being brought before different courts under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.
Startlingly, it has come to light that approximately 22,000 Afghan citizens have been residing in Islamabad. A stringent crackdown is slated to commence after the federal government’s October 31 deadline to identify and deport illegal residents.
In a recent development, a special meeting took place between federal police officers and officials from the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad. Both parties reached an agreement that Afghan citizens lacking the requisite residence documents in Pakistan would be repatriated to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, in the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), an important meeting is scheduled for next week to finalize the action plan for evicting illegally residing Afghans. The K-P Commissionerate for Afghan refugees disclosed that the province is home to one million registered Afghan citizens. Alarmingly, an estimated 750,000 Afghans entered Pakistan illegally, with over 300,000 of them arriving after the Taliban’s rise to power.
In K-P alone, 3,911 Afghan nationals were implicated in various criminal activities this year. The K-P police chief underscored that Afghan citizens were responsible for 75% of suicide attacks in the province.
Balochistan, another province in Pakistan, hosts approximately 850,000 Afghan citizens, with approximately 250,000 of them residing illegally.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, the Sir Syed police apprehended 10 Afghan individuals who were residing illegally in the country, registering cases against them.
Additionally, Pakistan has taken measures to curb smuggling by banning several items from being imported under the Afghan transit trade. The Ministry of Commerce has expanded the list of prohibited items to include 59 tariff lines of home appliances, 17 tariff lines of fabrics, 14 makeup products, 12 types of dry fruits, tires, and vacuum flasks. Officials have cited rampant smuggling under the guise of the Afghan transit trade as the reason for these measures.
Furthermore, the government plans to establish Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration counters inside five major prisons across the country to facilitate the processing of illegal Afghan nationals upon their return.
In a stern warning, the interior ministry has cautioned illegal foreigners to leave Pakistan by the looming deadline of October 31 or face legal action by Pakistani authorities. The nation’s resolve to address illegal immigration and enforce the law remains unwavering.
