Nearly 4,000 Afghan Nationals Repatriated from Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: Official records reveal that 3,942 undocumented Afghan nationals were repatriated from Rawalpindi during the first ten months of this year. The majority, 2,817 individuals, were sent back to Afghanistan for lacking valid travel documents. Additionally, 232 individuals were deported after their visas expired, and 22 Afghans holding various identity cards were also repatriated.

The records show that among those detained, 665 were Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and 1,394 held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. In total, 5,154 Afghan nationals were taken into custody during a crackdown, with 1,027 being released after the verification of their documents.

Currently, 185 Afghan nationals are being held at a holding center in Rawalpindi.

The federal government has previously announced plans to repatriate registered Afghan refugees residing in the Islamabad and Rawalpindi twin cities. A government notification stated that the relocation process would be completed by March 31. The government reassured that PoR cardholders would not face forced eviction.

There are an estimated 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, including 1.3 million PoR cardholders and 700,000 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. PoR cardholders have been granted permission to stay until June. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with international organizations and foreign embassies to support the repatriation process.

In 2023, the Pakistani government decided to repatriate over 1.1 million illegal Afghan nationals, primarily as part of a crackdown on terrorism, currency smuggling, and the illegal trade of goods like sugar and fertilizer. The decision was formalized through the Interior Ministry, with a federal cabinet approval for the plan to expel more than 1 million undocumented Afghan nationals.

Read More:Illegal Afghan Refugees Will Be Sent Back: Khawaja Asif

Pakistan will send back Afghan refugees who do not have legal documents, said Defence Minister Khawaja Asif during a TV interview. He made it clear that the federal government is responsible for border security and handling the issue of undocumented Afghan nationals.

Speaking on a talk show, Khawaja Asif said the Afghan Taliban keep giving threats and at the same time talk about peace. He responded by saying that if they want talks, they should act on their threats first and then come for negotiations.