PHC seeks reply from KP, federal govts

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday sought reply from the provincial and federal governments in a writ petition, seeking an order of the court to stop the government from further extension to the Afghan refugees’ stay in Pakistan and their immediate deportation to Afghanistan.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ghazanfar Khan directed the federal and provincial governments to reply to a petition seeking orders for the federal government against extending the stay of Afghan refugees in the country for another year and for ensuring their early repatriation.

The court asked Deputy Attorney General Musarratullah Khan and Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad Khan to ensure replies in the case before next hearing.

The petitioner requested the court to order the federal government not to give further extension to the Afghan refugees regarding their stay in Pakistan. The court issued notice in a writ petition filed by Peshawar-based lawyer Muhammad Khurshid.

He requested the court to also direct the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to close down all businesses conducted by Afghan refugees and impose a ban on sale and purchase of properties by them. The petitioner pleaded that the KP government be further directed to ban the free movement of Afghan refugees in cities across the province.

Respondents in the petition are the federal government through the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions, KP government through its chief secretary, and commissioner for Afghan refugees.