Crackdown widens as repatriation gains pace | The Express Tribune

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:

A day after the repatriation resumed, authorities on Sunday intensified their crackdown on illegally residing Afghan nationals and other foreign citizens across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, registering dozens of cases and detaining hundreds of individuals for deportation.

In Rawalpindi, police registered 63 cases over the past five days and arrested 18 landlords for renting out properties to Afghan nationals without verification. According to officials, 216 Afghan citizens have been taken into custody and shifted to a designated holding centre.

Cases were filed at police stations across the city, including Pirwadhai, Waris Khan, New Town, Ratta Amral and others.

Authorities have warned citizens against renting out, selling or leasing properties, vehicles or shops to foreigners without valid documentation.

The police issued orders prohibiting employing or engaging in business transactions with illegal residents,” police stated, urging the public to report undocumented individuals to nearby stations.

The Punjab government has also launched awareness campaigns through mosques and social media, warning that violations will lead to legal action.

Meanwhile, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, official data revealed that more than 828,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since the repatriation drive began.

On Friday alone, 5,220 refugees crossed through the Torkham border, including 401 documented and 2,314 undocumented individuals.

Authorities said an additional 25,392 Afghans have been repatriated from other provinces, while 19 people were deported through K-P’s transit points.

The Home Department confirmed that 7,261 Afghans were repatriated from prisons in Peshawar, Landi Kotal and Kohat, and another 1,326 refugees were held temporarily before being sent back.

So far, the data shows that over 54,000 documented and 628,000 undocumented Afghans have been repatriated, as Pakistan continues its efforts to regulate foreign residency and tighten border controls.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan on Saturday reopened the Torkham border crossing for Afghan refugees returning to their country, ending a nearly two-week closure following deadly clashes between border forces last month.

Meanwhile, nearly 10,700 individuals returned through the Chaman border in a single day as authorities expanded the process to the crossing. According to officials, the process is being conducted in accordance with legal and administrative protocols, ensuring that every individual’s documents are verified before crossing the border.

Authorities assured that the repatriation initiative was being 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 the civil administration have set up temporary shelters, food supplies and medical facilities for departing families.