Monitoring Desk
In a significant push to repatriate illegal Afghan residents, Pakistani authorities deported 1,636 Afghan nationals from Punjab and Sindh on Sunday, as part of an ongoing nationwide operation.
The largest movement was witnessed in Punjab, where 5,111 Afghan nationals — including 2,301 children and 1,120 women — were transported to transit camps or holding centers across the province for repatriation.
Most of these individuals carried Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), issued by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) after verification by the FIA, police, and other relevant agencies.
According to law enforcement, security agencies have identified over 100,000 Afghans living illegally in more than 150 ‘Afghan Colonies’ across Punjab. Additional Inspector General Police Punjab, Waqas Nazeer, said these individuals fall under the third and fourth categories of Afghan residents — those without legal documents or holding ACCs without refugee status.
“Those holding valid documents or living in Pakistan under the UNHCR mandate will not be repatriated,” clarified an official, adding that Pakistan, as a signatory to the Geneva Convention, is bound to uphold international commitments toward legal refugees.
Mr. Nazeer said police shifted 1,336 individuals to 46 designated holding centers in Punjab on Sunday. “It was a tedious and complex operation. DPOs were directed to comply with government instructions, locate Afghan settlements, and coordinate the transfers,” he said. These individuals were then transported to Landi Kotal and handed over to local authorities for immediate deportation to Afghanistan.
All deportees underwent medical screening before departure. Punjab police chief Dr. Usman Anwar assured that all illegal residents were provided security during the process. He said local administrations were tasked with handling logistics, transportation, and food.
Despite assurances, many Afghans expressed deep dissatisfaction over the abrupt enforcement of deportation orders. “We are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, but we are paying the price for being Afghan nationals,” said one of the deportees. Many said they were forced to sell possessions and wind up businesses in haste, incurring heavy losses.
In Rawalpindi, 736 Afghan nationals, including 140 women and 164 children, were rounded up and moved to the Golra Mor refugee camp. Of them, 179 were deported on Sunday. One woman complaining of cardiac issues was referred to the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, though she had yet to be shifted by late evening.
Operations also continued in Murree where 13 Afghan nationals were detained and moved to Golra Mor. A police officer confirmed that crackdowns will continue and that ACC holders and illegal residents will be repatriated after scrutiny at the holding centers.
In Sindh, over 300 Afghan nationals were deported from Karachi. According to Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, the group included 79 children, 37 women, and 191 men. South DIG Syed Asad Raza said 409 ACC holders had been brought to the Ameen House holding center in Sultanabad from different parts of Karachi between April 1 and 6. Of these, 102 individuals possessing valid PoR (Proof of Registration) documents were returned to their respective police stations.
Minister Memon emphasized that the campaign to deport illegal immigrants would continue, reaffirming that Pakistan is adhering strictly to international laws and protocols during the process.
