Afghans pack bags as crackdown intensifies

Operations ramp up in Rawalpindi and K-P

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KARACHI/RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:

As the clock ran out on the government's deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, Afghan nationals across several cities on Friday began packing their bags - some voluntarily, others by force.

Authorities, meanwhile, are turning up the heat. Law enforcement agencies have ramped up operations across several cities to facilitate what officials now describe as the "forced repatriation" of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. With the voluntary repatriation period ending, many Afghan-run shops and offices in commercial areas in Peshawar have remained closed since Eid.

Afghan nationals have shut down their shops and offices in Peshawar's commercial hubs, while law enforcement agencies have intensified operations to facilitate the repatriation process.

As part of NADRA's national re-verification and renewal campaign, dozens of Afghan individuals have had their Pakistani identity cards cancelled.

A major crackdown is expected after April 11. So far, 153 Afghan refugees have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan.

Shops owned by Afghan citizens involved in various trades – including food, carpets, crockery and footwear - remained closed after Eid.

While a brief Eidul Fitr reprieve had granted Afghan nationals extra time, authorities said the grace period was over and no further extensions would be granted.

Moreover, officials warn that arrests are expected to begin soon. Although detentions have not yet begun in K-P, sources say it is only a matter of time before the hammer comes down.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, over 50 individuals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) were taken into custody during police operations and shifted to temporary camps.

According to police sources, several teams are conducting operations across various areas. Individuals holding ACCs will be repatriated to Afghanistan from these camps.

Sources added that families of cardholders will also be detained and transferred to the camps.

The operations will now be conducted on a daily basis.

Similarly, in Karachi, authorities and law enforcement agencies began implementing the federal government's policy of deporting undocumented foreign nationals on Friday, launching what officials described as the 'forced repatriation' of ACC holders.

According to official data, the operation targets an estimated 16,138 individuals, with more than 150 already detained in Karachi alone.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza confirmed that 162 ACC holders had so far been brought to the designated holding facility.

Some were released after verification revealed they held Proof of Registration (POR) cards instead.

DIG Raza said that a total of 196 Afghans from different areas were brought to the camp on April 3.