Shown the door: Govt redoubles efforts to remove Afghan prayer leaders from province

Compiles a list of Afghan nationals holding key positions at mosques and seminaries.

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has directed Afghan prayer leaders who lack proof of registration (PoR) and other documents to validate their stay in the country to return to Afghanistan or face the music.

Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune on Friday the government has compiled a list of at least 360 Afghan nationals holding key positions at mosques and seminaries.

Ever since the massacre of schoolchildren at Army Public School (APS) in December 2014, many unregistered Afghan nationals have been sent back. Although Afghan students who were enrolled at seminaries in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have returned home, a large number of prayer leaders are still holding key positions at mosques and seminaries.



According to a copy of the list available with The Express Tribune, 185 Afghan prayer leaders are serving as either imams or khateebs in various mosques in Peshawar whereas 49 others are holding similar positions in Charsadda. Meanwhile, there are 46 Afghan prayer leaders in Mardan and 13 Afghan religious scholars in various parts of Swabi.

Moreover, 20 Afghan ulemas have been issued Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), stated the list. However, government officials have pressed for action against these prayer leaders as they have allegedly used fraudulent means to obtain the CNICs.

According to the list, 47 Afghan prayer leaders possess PoR cards and can therefore remain in the country until December 31, 2015 – the federal government’s deadline for the repatriation of Afghan nationals.

Meanwhile, the list has confirmed there are no Afghan prayer leaders in Swat, Buner, Chitral, Torghar, Haripur, Kohistan, Battagram, Shangla, Karak, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan and Tank. Officials from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department believe Afghan ulemas have left the southern district of the province for Afghanistan after the APS attack.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the provincial government issued directions to commissioners and police officials to expel 294 Afghan prayer leaders from different mosques across K-P.

Police had been directed to expel the prayer leaders within a week while the home department would monitor the progress of this action against unregistered Afghan prayer leaders. However, the home department spokesperson denied any action was being taken against prayer leaders.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.