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joint team, comprising the district administration and police, is sweeping through marketplaces and specific localities in Lahore to identify unregistered Afghan residents.
The operation has visibly altered the city’s commercial landscape. A trader in the Auriga Market, who introduced himself only as “Khan” for fear of reprisal, notes the dramatic change: “Afghans had their own small businesses in markets like Auriga and New Auriga. All of them have disappeared. They either returned to Afghanistan or went underground.”
Khan says the Afghans often operated extended stalls in front of main shops, selling items like cut fabric pieces. “While most have left the city over the past three years, some of them who have valid documents are still around. However, they have gone into hiding.”
In the 1980s and ‘90s, Afghan children scavenging for recycling or working odd jobs like polishing shoes were a common sight. Over time, many established themselves in the city, some becoming successful traders. Now, however, many face eviction as the final phase of government’s campaign to deport all Afghans without valid visas gains momentum.
According to a Punjab Police handout, more than 21,900 foreigners, including Afghans, have been deported from Lahore and other parts of the Punjab so far. Additionally, 423 people are being kept at holding points pending removal.
A spokesperson for the Punjab Police says the deported figures include 7,656 men, 4,745 women and 9,508 children. Of those deported, 6,007 had carried proof of residence, 10,861 held Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs) and 5,041 had had no legal documents.
DIG Faisal Kamran says the process adheres strictly to government directives, emphasising a lack of discrimination or misuse of authority. “We are only identifying those without valid documentation,” he says.
DIG Kamran says that the police are working in tandem with the district administration. He says that the Afghan families possessing ACCs or valid visas are not being bothered. The process, he adds, is “proceeding systematically, under official instructions,” with all district police stations required to report daily progress.
Teams of police and revenue officials have been visiting long-established Afghan residential areas, including Township, Walton, Niaz Baig and Green Town. Neighbourhoods like Khan Colony and Imamia Colony are under close surveillance.
“Verification is being carried out through NADRA data and field visits,” DIG Kamran explains. “Our teams are going door-to-door, collecting information where there are reports of unregistered residents. The process is transparent and within the law.”
Senior police officials say the campaign is directly supervised by the Capital City Police Officer, with support from the Special Branch and the Counter-Terrorism Department. While a number of Afghans have returned voluntarily, others are being deported following verification.
DIG Faisal Kamran says the process adheres strictly to government directives, emphasising a lack of discrimination or misuse of authority. “We are only identifying those without valid documentation.”
Nazar Lala, an Afghan elder whose family settled in KP in the 1930s, says the crackdown has reached every locality. He notes that many Afghans who came to Lahore during the 1980s resided in areas like Township, Kalma Chowk and Khan Colony. “Many others came during the 1990s and 2000s. They built homes, in mud or bricks, wherever they found space,” Lala says.
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At Auriga, Khan revisits the economic impact of the operation, saying, “The Afghans used to sell leftover fabric pieces in front of shops. Some of them later bought the stalls... However, they did not own the main shops.”
He says that most of them had started returning after the deportation announcement. Some Afghan have been in Pakistan for generations and possess old ACCs; their cases are being handled separately.
Police data shows that most unregistered Afghans in Lahore are concentrated in southern parts of the city, particularly in settlements like Township, Green Town and Niaz Baig, which have seen repeated inspections.
DIG Kamran emphasises that Lahore is following the model used in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, coordinating with the Afghan consulate and federal departments. Since the policy began last year, an estimated 700,000 Afghan nationals across Pakistan have been deported. In the Punjab, the operation intensified in early September following provincial review meetings.
Khan recalls that many Afghans were integrated into the recycling and waste trade, collecting paper and plastic from areas like Garden Town and Faisal Town before expanding into other goods. “The recent crackdown has forced many to close shop or leave quietly.”
Lala says that Afghans who have moved to Sialkot and Multan are also being targeted.
DIG Kamran also stresses the importance of lawful and humane handling. “We are aware that some deportees have families, children in schools. It is our duty to ensure that the process is lawful and humane. Nobody is being mistreated.”
Afghan stalls have vanished from many markets in Lahore. Occasional police presence remains, even in commercial areas, to check for subletting to unregistered workers. The district administration has set up temporary checkpoints to monitor movement and trace the remaining residents efficiently and without causing panic.
Lala says that those still in Lahore are keeping a low profile. DIG Kamran concludes that the operation will continue until full compliance. Authorities report that most Afghan settlements in Lahore’s southern belt have been cleared, though teams will revisit sites periodically to ensure compliance.
Ahsan Raza is the editor of Minute Mirror. He can be reached at ahsanbudhhotmail.com