Teams constituted to identify foreigners: Deadline for Afghans stay in Pakistan ends

PESHAWAR: Teams of police, district administration and other concerned departments have been constituted to identify Afghan refugees as the deadline for these foreigners ended on Sunday. zv

The government had set August 31 as deadline for all kind of Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan for over 46 years.

They were asked to repatriate to their homeland as authorities had warned of action from September 1.

“Teams have been constituted at the sub divisional level to identity Afghan families in thier area. Assistant commissioner of the area along with deputy superintendent of police and other relevant officials will supervise the operations in their respective areas,” a senior official said on Sunday.

Another official said no strict action had been ordered and the assigned team would knock the doors of these Afghans and ask them to leave since deadline for thier stay has ended.

Thousands of Afghans applied for Pakistani visas in the last few months after realising they were not going to be allowed to stay in Pakistan without any valid documents anymore.

A large number of them have got the visas for themselves while thier families have returned home after staying here for around 46 years.

Most of those who applied for the visas are vendors and shopkeepers while a few ran restaurants and other businesses.

A number of refugee camps across the country have been closed while more are being closed.

Police and district administrations are preparing to implement the policy on the Afghan nationals who do not posses a Pakistani visa or valid travel documents from Monday.

The government had announced in early August that all those staying in the country without visa and valid travel documents were residing illegally since June 30 and should leave by the deadline.

Thousands of Afghan families have left for thier homeland during the last few years.

In the first phase in 2023, Pakistan asked all those undocumented Afghans to return home.

Later, those possessing Afghan Citizen Cards were returned in early 2025 while August 31 was set as deadline for those who obtained Proof of Registration Cards.

A large number of them are yet to wind up businesses and pack up their homes saying they needed more time.