Islamabad (TDI): With the Eid holidays over, the process to expel all illegal foreigners and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders is likely to gain momentum as the deadline for their voluntary departure has officially expired.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday to brief him on the progress of the Afghan citizens’ repatriation process.
According to official data, a total of 886,242 undocumented Afghan citizens have left Pakistan as of April 1, with repatriations continuing.
Authorities have warned of strict legal action against those who failed to leave by the deadline, reinforcing the government’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws.
Pakistan had set a March 31 deadline for all illegal immigrants, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, to voluntarily return to their home countries.
However, with the deadline now past, the government has signaled the start of forcible removals and legal steps against illegal immigrants.
Read More: Pakistan Firm on March 31 Deadline for Expulsion of Illegal Afghans
The deadline for their return ended on March 31, but the repatriation process could not formally start due to the Eid holidays.
There are forty-three camps for Afghan refugees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The number of Afghan citizens in Pakistan holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards is 1,344,584.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the total number of registered Afghan nationals is 709,278, out of which 344,908 are residing in camps.
The number of Afghan refugees holding Afghan Citizen Cards is 307,647. Since 2013, a total of 465,000 Afghan nationals have returned through the Torkham border.
Read More: Pakistan denies detaining 800 Afghan citizens
Balochistan has 317,000 registered Afghan refugees, while hosts Punjab 196,000, Sindh has 74,117, Islamabad 42,718 and Azad Kashmir 4,448 Afghan refugees.
The Afghan interim government under the Taliban on Tuesday had urged Pakistan not to start deportation of Afghan citizens.
