Pakistan: Police detains 40 Afghan nationals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Islamabad, July 20
Police has detained 40 undocumented Afghan nationals during the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreign citizens in Charsadda city of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local media reported on Monday.
Charsadda Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Wazir said that detained Afghan officials were shifted from the city police station to the Peshawar holding centre. He said the detained individuals would undergo legal and administrative formalities before being deported through the Torkham border crossing, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
Wazir said the district administration in coordination with the police and other law enforcement agencies would continue operations against undocumented foreign nationals in Charsadda district. He said that campaign was being conducted as per the immigration laws and would continue without discrimination.
District Police Officer (DPO) Rifatullah Khan said that the total number of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been shifted from Charsadda to the holding centre in Peshawar had reached 133. According to the officials, operation was conducted as per Pakistan federal government's policy about undocumented foreign nationals living in Pakistan.
They further said that immigration authorities would determine the identities and legal status of those detained before completing formalities related to deportation.
Last week, a total of 525 Afghan families were repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as three refugee camps in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were completely vacated.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Umar Khittab Khan said that the phased repatriation of Afghan refugees was being conducted as per the orders issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Dawn reported.
He stated that under this policy, 525 Afghan families residing in the refugee camps at Bizan Khel, Ghoriwala, and Mamand Khel were repatriated to Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing.
According to the ADC, the authorities were now focusing on Afghan nationals who lived in rented houses, private residences in Bannu and other surrounding areas. He said that the records of Afghan nationals were being shared with their respective police stations and efforts were being made to conduct their early repatriation.
The official said that Afghan families who want to return voluntarily may stay at the temporary transit centres established by the district administration. Authorities will arrange transportation to take Afghan refugees to the Torkham border for their repatriation to Afghanistan.
On June 28, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior ordered the immediate arrest of any Afghan national found living in the country without a valid visa from July 10.
The deportation drive launched by Pakistan in 2023 was renewed in April last year when the government rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans and warned them of arrests if they did not leave.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Hmm, Pakistan always talks about 'illegal' this and that, but where were they when their own agencies were stirring trouble in Afghanistan for decades? 😒 Now they're deporting refugees who probably fled war and poverty. Karma is real, yaar.
Looking at this from India's perspective, we should use this as a case study. We need strong immigration laws too, but with a human face. Forced repatriation without proper checks can create humanitarian crises. Pakistan should ensure these Afghans aren't being sent back to unsafe conditions.
As someone who follows South Asian geopolitics, this appears to be a political move. Pakistan's economy is struggling, and they're cracking down on 'illegals' as a distraction. But 133 people shifted—that's a lot of families torn apart. Very sad.
Honestly, I'm conflicted. On one hand, countries have the right to enforce their laws. On the other hand, many of these Afghans have been living there for decades—some were even born in Pakistan. Uprooting them now feels cruel. India should quietly offer assistance to Afghanistan for absorbing these returnees.
Big fan of Pakistan following its own laws, but the timing is interesting. Just last month, there was all that noise about cross-border terrorism—now suddenly it's about Afghans? Feels like they're shifting blame. Our MEA should keep an eye on this—India can't afford another refugee crisis at its borders.
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