Locals not to rent property to illegal Afghans

Administration says stern action will be taken against those who violate instructions

PESHAWAR/LANDIKOTAL:

The Peshawar District Administration has decided to take stern action against those property dealers who are involved in arranging houses and shops on rent for undocumented Afghan refugees across the city.

In this regard, announcements were made on loud speakers in mosques in which illegal immigrants were asked to ensure departure to their homeland.

The property dealers were warned that no houses, shops, rooms or flats would be rented out to the undocumented Afghans otherwise strict action would be taken against them and the property owners.

“A crackdown has also been launched against those property owners who are still unwilling to expel undocumented Afghans from their properties,” the announcements warned.

Read  Afghans going to US not to be arrested

On the other hand, the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees claimed that another 9,000 Afghans had crossed back into their country in the last 24 hours.

“So far, over 156,000 individuals have returned to Afghanistan via Torkham crossing in the past one month starting from October 1,” an official told The Express Tribune.

He said that the holding centre in Landi Kotal had collected all data of the departing refugees and that the repatriation process had gained momentum.

Also read Repatriation of Afghan immigrants continues

The caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet met on Friday to assess the ongoing evacuation of foreigners residing illegally in the province, requesting the federal government to allocate Rs1 billion in funding to cover the costs of repatriation.

Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan chaired the special meeting, attended by Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary for Interior Abid Majeed, as well as relevant administrative secretaries and officials.

To enhance management, an emergency was declared in Nowshera, Peshawar, and Khyber districts.

During the meeting, they received a briefing on the arrangements made for the repatriation of illegal immigrants and related matters.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2023.