A fresh drive has been launched to repatriate Afghan nationals to their homeland from Pakistan, which has hosted them for almost five decades. Operations were conducted in Saddar, Nauthia and other areas of Peshawar, as well as Jalozai in Nowshera, where several Afghans were detained for repatriation.
Similar operations were also carried out in other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to identify and send back undocumented foreign nationals. The exact number of those detained is yet to be compiled, an official said on Sunday, adding that enforcement measures are being intensified across the province.
He added that over the past four months, the police, along with other departments, had deported 9,923 undocumented foreigners from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These included 3,657 from Peshawar, 1,107 from Khyber, 657 from Nowshera and 652 from Swabi, according to the official records.
Special teams have been constituted, and different districts have been divided into administrative zones to identify and repatriate foreign nationals efficiently. All categories of refugees and undocumented Afghans have been politely urged for more than a year to return to their country voluntarily.
Only those Afghans possessing valid visas and travel documents will be allowed to stay in Pakistan and regularise their status according to the law. A strict crackdown has also begun against individuals obtaining fake Pakistani Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and official passports through illegal means.
According to statistics available on the portal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 4.766 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan since 2002. This massive repatriation effort continues to be monitored closely by federal and provincial authorities to ensure security and compliance.
Ashrafuddin Pirzada adds: The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was reopened on Sunday to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals and families to their homeland. This followed a brief closure due to an exchange of small-arms fire in the border area around noon.
According to official sources, vehicles carrying Afghan families returning to their homeland have resumed their journey towards the Zero Point at the Torkham border crossing. Law enforcement agencies ensured that the situation remained under control following the brief disturbance.
However, trucks carrying Afghan returnees had earlier been temporarily turned back towards Landikotal following the firing incident as a precautionary measure. Movement was subsequently restored once security forces cleared the surrounding areas and declared the route safe for travel.
Local administration officials have reaffirmed that the repatriation process of undocumented foreign nationals will continue without interruption. The government maintains that proper documentation and legal status are mandatory for all foreign citizens residing within the borders of Pakistan.