Not a single undocumented Afghan arrested in KP

PESHAWAR: Not a single illegal foreigner has been arrested from any part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the expiry of the deadline as 147,949 documented and undocumented Afghans have returned home via Torkham since September 17.

Officials said they want the process to continue smoothly so no action has been taken so far. At some points the police officers and people from different walks of life were seen providing food, water and juices to the children, elderly citizens, men and women going back home after living in the country for decades.

“Not a single undocumented Afghan has been held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the end of the deadline as the voluntary return is going smoothly,” Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Abid Majeed told The News.

The official said that 122 of the 361 undocumented foreigners held under 14 Foreigners Act before the drive have been repatriated as the courts had issued orders to deport them. As many as 51 of them were repatriated on Wednesday, seven on Thursday and 64 on Friday.

According to the official figures, 19,344 Afghans, including those who opted to return despite having visas or PoR cards, have returned via Torkham on the last day. The total figure has crossed 147,949 since September 17.

Another 294 returned via the Angoor Adda border. The number of those returning voluntarily increased in the last few days of October when the deadline was about to end.

The authorities said that different agencies had mapped 49,690 illegal foreigners in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The officials have received 535 calls on toll free number 1700 regarding the undocumented foreigners. Out of these 477 were for identification, 54 for information while four were to lodge complaints,” said an official.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has set up a control room in the Home Department where officers from district administration, police, agencies, Federal Investigation Agency, immigration and other departments would be present to monitor the process of repatriation.

“The police along with the district administration will shift undocumented foreigners to the holding points from where they will be taken to the Torkham border. The local police will escort the vehicles carrying undocumented foreigners coming from other provinces to the holding point in Landikotal,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations, Kashif Aftab Abbasi told reporters.

According to the government, action would be taken against foreigners who did not possess documents to legalize their stay in Pakistan.

No action is being taken against Afghans who possess Proof of Registration cards issued by the UNHCR, the Afghan Citizens Cards and valid visas. Action is also planned against those who obtained Pakistani CNICs.