Police launched an operation to demolish buildings evacuated by Afghans in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth.

Karachi  – (Special Correspondent  / Web Desk) – On Wednesday, police began an operation to tear down hundreds of empty houses in a Karachi neighborhood known as Afghan Camp. Officials stated this was done to stop the land from being taken over by illegal groups. The property is owned by the Malir Development Authority and originally had over 3,000 homes. While a few hundred Pakistani families lived there, it was mostly a camp for thousands of Afghans.

A senior police officer, Irfan Ali Baloch, explained that this was the largest camp for displaced Afghans in the area. He said that most of the Afghan residents have already returned to their home country following the government’s policy. However, around 2,000 Afghans are still living there and are being sent back in stages.

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DIG Baloch mentioned that he coordinated with the city commissioner to start the demolition. The goal is to prevent land mafia groups from seizing the now-vacant government land. On the first day, structures built on 20 acres of land were knocked down. Officials expect the operation to continue for the next several days.

This action is part of a larger government effort. Last October, all undocumented immigrants were told to leave Pakistan by a certain date. After that deadline passed, a nationwide operation began to deport people who were in the country illegally, most of whom were Afghans. The government then set a March 31st deadline for even registered Afghans to leave voluntarily, warning that mass deportations would follow.