Peshawar to expel 153 Afghan prayer leaders

PESHAWAR: Of the total 294 Afghan prayer leaders, who are to be expelled from all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a week, up to 153 alone have been identified in the provincial metropolis, a source told The News.
Intelligence agencies identified the Afghan prayer leaders last month. Their names have been sent to the commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) concerned to expel them within a week. The report also identified those who have acquired Pakistani computerised national identity cards (CNICs).
According to the list, 16 Afghan prayer leaders have been identified in Peshawar city, 40 each in town and rural, 31 in cantonment and 26 on Warsak Road.The areas that were reported clear in the provincial capital included Civil Secretariat, University campus and Hayatabad, where not a single Afghan prayer leader is staying.
Among the other districts, 17 were identified in Charsadda city and 32 in Shabqadar town of the Charsadda district. There were 46 prayer leaders identified in Mardan, 13 in Swabi and five in Nowshera, who are non-locals.
Besides, there were eight Afghan prayer leaders identified in Lower Dir; two in Malakand district, one in Abbottabad, two in Mansehra, nine in Kohat, two in Hangu and four in Bannu.There is not a single Afghan prayer leader identified in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Haripur, Shangla, Battagram, Kohistan, Torghar, Chitral, Upper Dir, Buner, Swat and Karak.
A crackdown is under way against unregistered Afghan refugees who neither have the proof of registration (PoR) cards issued by the UNHCR to the refugees, nor have any other document to legalise stay in Pakistan. Some of them have got the CNICs, after which Federal Investigation Agency and Nadra have kicked off inquiries against them.