Plan made to deport illegal Afghans

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to deport illegal and undocumented Afghan citizens residing in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and send them back to Afghanistan.

This decision was taken in a recent meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A relocation plan has been approved, which would be implemented in two phases.

All Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders would be immediately relocated from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to other parts of the country.

The prime minister has assigned this task to Interior Ministry. Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders would be dealt with separately in phase two, as the federal cabinet has extended their stay till June 30, 2025.

However, the Interior Ministry has been directed to relocate them out of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Those Afghans who have to go to a third country would also be moved out of Rawalpindi-Islamabad by March 31, 2025.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been directed to coordinate with foreign missions that either Afghans go to the countries they want or they would also be sent back to Afghanistan.

No compromise would be made on the relocation plan. The officers concerned have been directed not to give illegal favour to anyone. It would be ensured Afghan citizens sent back do not return to Pakistan. Two intelligence agencies have been directed to closely monitor the implementation of relocation plan and submit a review report to the prime minister regularly.