1,100 Afghan nationals leave for Afghanistan

LANDIKOTAL: Around 1,100 persons, including 3 families residing in Landikotal, left for Afghanistan on Saturday as the process of deportation of Afghan nationals continued, official sources said.

Deputy Commissioner, Khyber, Bilal Shahid Rao, told The News that three families voluntarily left for Afghanistan from Sultankhel Nekikhel village in Landikotal. He said authorities in Punjab have launched a crackdown against Afghan Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghan nationals, following official orders issued to police officers across the district.

The operation, which began at 8:00am, aims to ensure the maximum number of arrests, with daily monitoring of law enforcement activities.

Bilal Shahid Rao said the Torkham border would remain open round-the-clock to facilitate the deportation process.

According to the directive, all arrested Afghan nationals would be transferred daily to a holding center in Attock. Police officials have been instructed to ensure swift action and systematic processing of detainees to avoid delays in deportation procedures.

The crackdown follows the federal government’s recent decision to tighten immigration controls and enforce repatriation measures for undocumented Afghan nationals.

Authorities claimed that the move was part of broader national security concerns, citing incidents involving illegal residents in various criminal activities.

In compliance with the orders, police stations were required to submit daily progress reports on arrests. These reports would be sent to senior officials through the Security Branch, ensuring strict oversight of the operation. The directive has also emphasized the accountability of officers, warning against any negligence or failure to meet arrest targets.

To manage the detained persons, special duties have been assigned at the holding centres. Police stations have been tasked with overseeing operations in shifts, ensuring that security personnel remain vigilant at all times.

The crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to implement Pakistan’s new immigration policies, which aim to deport all undocumented foreign nationals. The government has maintained that these measures are necessary to address security threats, while human rights organisations have raised concerns about the treatment of Afghan refugees and the lack of due process in deportations.

As the operation progresses, law enforcement agencies are expected to intensify efforts to identify and detain Afghan nationals without legal documentation. The authorities have reiterated that these orders are to be implemented without delay, warning that any officer found negligent in execution will face disciplinary action.

Vehicles carrying Afghan families and goods towards Afghanistan via the Torkham border would not be allowed entry if they do not possess Temporary Admission Documents (TAD), according to customs clearing agents and official sources at Torkham.

Drivers transporting Afghan families from various cities in Pakistan to Afghanistan are advised to ensure that TAD documents are prepared in advance. Vehicles without these documents would be denied entry into Afghanistan and their goods would have to be transferred to other vehicles at Torkham border to further transport them to their hometowns.

Torkham border authorities have urged vehicle owners and drivers to complete the necessary TAD paperwork to avoid inconvenience.

Following the expiration of the deadline for undocumented Afghan refugees to leave, police have launched operations in various areas of Nowshera.

At Torkham border, an Afghan national, Musafar Khan, holding a hen in his hand, said that they were offloaded from Pakistani trucks in Torkham due to the lack of proper documentation for the vehicles. He added that they were waiting to hire another truck or negotiating with agents to transport their luggage across the border using hand carts.

Once the goods cross into Afghanistan, they plan to reload them onto trucks to continue their journey to their final destination.

Another young man, Kamal Agha, said that he was born and raised in Pakistan, but now, for the first time, he was going to Afghanistan—a country where he doesn’t know anyone. He said his two children, who were studying in 5th and 6th grades in Punjab, were expelled from school and told to leave the country.