Unregistered Afghans continue to return home
Jan Achakzai, while addressing a ceremony held by the Local Council Association of Pakistan, said that deporting the Afghans is a challenge that we have to face and achieve as the government’s policy does not allow them to be under refuge anymore.
He further said that more than 1.3 million Afghans are residing in Pakistan who have immigrant status. They shall not be bothered. However, the illegal residents and the Afghans involved in smuggling will not be spared. Severe action will be taken against them.
Earlier, Jan Achakzai had said that illegal residents would be deported with dignity and respect.
He said that strict actions and operations to curb smuggling are underway.
In the ceremony, Pakistan Local Council Association Chairman Syed Kumail Haider Shah and the Balochistan government signed the MOU for the Model Village Project in collaboration with the European Union.
Meanwhile,Return of unregistered Afghan nationals is in full swing as 8,000 or so have crossed the Torkham border.
Police also started profiling Afghans living in various parts of Khyber district.
Immigration officials at Torkham border said that over 150 families, mostly unregistered but in possession of the Proof of Registration (POR) card or the Afghan tazkira (national identity card), had returned to their homeland during the last three days. They said 8,000 people crossed the border on Sunday, bringing the number to almost 10,000.
Landi Kotal Assistant Commissioner Irshad Ali Momand said the relaxation had already been given to the Afghans who were in possession of ID cards. He said the district administration was waiting for a national policy about the official ultimatum regarding the ‘eviction’ of the unregistered aliens.
Officials said the number was rising with every passing day as Pakistan issued an ultimatum to all ‘aliens’ on its soil to leave the country by Oct 31.
They said usually Afghans preferred in the past to stay in Pakistan during this part of the year due to harsh winters in Afghanistan. “This time this phenomenon has changed as police throughout the country have launched a crackdown on unregistered Afghans,” they said.
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