Illegal Immigrants Deportation Operation.
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Pak_Sher
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14 out of 23 suicide bombers were illegals and it is high time that everyone is accounted for. The terrorists need to be deported along with their sympathizers. Genuine refugees should be separated especially the registered law abiding ones.
Maula Jatt
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Because we are doing this so hastily in just one month instead of taking a year for proper planning
They're not allowed to bring in more than 50k PKR nor their livestock, and you can't sell anything at market value within a month. This is what I mean when I say we're causing permanent PR damage by acting in this manner.
We're Pakistanis; we're the good guys. This is not how responsible nations act. Don't let the actions of an unelected caretaker government tarnish Pakistan's reputation
ghazi52
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- 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝.
- On the final day of the deadline, 21,000 Afghan citizens returned to Afghanistan via Torkham, and plans were put in place for a significant operation against illegal foreign residents in Pakistan.
- Immediately following the deadline, a crackdown commenced in Karachi. The police took action near the Saddar area, detaining four illegal immigrants and taking them to the police station.
- At the holding center, NADRA staff will collect the biometric data of detained Afghan citizens, who will then be transferred to Afghan authorities via Torkham.
- Government officials have arranged for a non-stop train to transport Afghans from Karachi to the Chaman border via Rohri.
- Due to security concerns in Balochistan, a special train will depart from Karachi in the evening, travel overnight through Sindh, and return to Sindh during the day before reaching Balochistan.
- During the initial three days of the operation against foreign residents, 10 buses will transport 500 Afghans daily to Chaman, while 780 to 800 Afghans will return daily by train.
- Authorities have stated that the deadline for illegal residents to leave the country will not be extended.
- 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝.- On the final day of the deadline, 21,000 Afghan citizens returned to Afghanistan via Torkham, and plans were put in place for a significant operation against illegal foreign residents in Pakistan.
- Immediately following the deadline, a crackdown commenced in Karachi. The police took action near the Saddar area, detaining four illegal immigrants and taking them to the police station.
- At the holding center, NADRA staff will collect the biometric data of detained Afghan citizens, who will then be transferred to Afghan authorities via Torkham.
- Government officials have arranged for a non-stop train to transport Afghans from Karachi to the Chaman border via Rohri.
- Due to security concerns in Balochistan, a special train will depart from Karachi in the evening, travel overnight through Sindh, and return to Sindh during the day before reaching Balochistan.
- During the initial three days of the operation against foreign residents, 10 buses will transport 500 Afghans daily to Chaman, while 780 to 800 Afghans will return daily by train.
- Authorities have stated that the deadline for illegal residents to leave the country will not be extended.
Azadkashmir
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when they reach afghanistan they surely will become antipakistan.
ghazi52
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November 1, 2023
Afghan refugees gather around National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) vans for biometric verifications as they prepare to depart for Afghanistan, at a holding centre in Landi Kotal on Nov 1.
The government has initiated a nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans, after the deadline to voluntarily leave the country expired, it emerged on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by Oct 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.
Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented.
While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the caretakers refused to budge from the deadline, insisting the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
The government has decided to keep foreign nationals residing in the country without identity documents in “holding centres” before deporting them to their respective countries.
Such centres have been established in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Attock while over 800 houses of the ‘illegal immigrants’ were demolished in the capital a day ago. Similarly, 52,000 illegal residents have been identified and mapped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a crackdown.
In an interior ministry notification dated October 30, which Dawn.com has seen, the government recalled the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” which it said it had approved on September 21 for the “repatriation of all illegal/unregistered foreigners, including those who are overstaying their visa validity period”.
The ministry said it was “pleased to convey consent to and order repatriation of all such illegal/unregistered foreigners, including those overstaying their visa validity period, who are presently under trial or undergoing any sentence” under Section 14B (deportation pending trial or undergoing sentence of imprisonment) of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
It further stated that foreigners “who are under trial or undergoing sentence for any offence other than specified in the Foreigners Act” were not to be repatriated.
Noting that it was “expedient to authorise district administration, police, prosecution, jail administration and all authorities that may be relevant, to take steps for arrest, detention (in jails or any other suitable premises) and departure of such illegal foreigners”, the government said it was invoking the provisions of sub-sections 1, 2(c), 2(e)(1) and 2(g) of Section 3 (power to make orders) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 with effect from Nov 1.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti shared a video of Afghan nationals lined up to board a bus to the neighbouring country.
“This action is a testament to Pakistan’s determination to repatriate any individuals residing in the country without proper documentation,” he said.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, it is the first time in the country’s history that the interior ministry has “issued instructions to all provinces to deport illegal foreigners under the Foreigners Act”.
The identification process of 0.2m illegal foreigners residing in Sindh has been completed, the report said. It added that operations have also been initiated in Punjab and Balochistan “to deport illegal Afghans and their data is being checked by scanning”.
Authorities in KP, where the majority of Afghan migrants live, will launch a widespread operation to arrest undocumented families who refuse to leave, caretaker information minister Barrister Firoze Jamal Shah told AFP.
AFP quoted the state media as saying that 49 holding centres, some capable of holding several thousand people, were set to open across the country on Wednesday to process and deport Afghans.
Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani speaks to reporters on Nov 1. — Screengrab from video provided by Nadir Guramani
Speaking to Dawn.com, he noted that there was a need to inform the media about the “real situation”. The minister claimed, “I will only say that the majority of Afghan refugees, who have registration cards, are not at all being expelled.”
“Other than that, those who have documents, they are not being [expelled] either,” he said without specifying which documents.
The foreign minister added, “Thirdly, the vulnerable communities among Afghans, which include minorities or there are some other people who have apprehensions that they will have to face some issues after going there, we will also adopt a flexible approach towards them.”
FM Jilani then said that only those who had “no documents at all and were residing here without any documents”, were being told to return to their home country.
He went on to say that the caretaker prime minister and his cabinet had decided that such people’s “dignity and the respect of their women and children will be taken care of”.
In a statement, Taliban authorities thanked Pakistan and other countries that have hosted millions of Afghans who fled their country during decades of conflict, but “asked them to not forcibly deport Afghans with little notice but to give them time to prepare”.
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban government has urged Afghans to return home but has also condemned Pakistan’s actions, saying nationals are being punished for tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, and calling for people to be given more time to depart.
A police officer sits with detained Afghan nationals, who according to them were undocumented, as they shift them to a holding centre, after Pakistan gave the last warning to undocumented migrants to leave, in Karachi, Pakistan on Nov 1. — Reuters
More than 140,000 undocumented immigrants, most of them Afghan nationals, have returned to their Taliban-ruled homeland, Reuters quoted Pakistani officials as saying.
A KP senior official said about 104,000 Afghan nationals had left through the main Torkham border crossing during the last two weeks.
“Some of them have been living in Pakistan for more than 30 years without any proof of registration,” said Nasir Khan, the deputy commissioner of the area.
An as yet undetermined number have also left via Balochistan’s Chaman border crossing. However, Pakistan’s interior ministry put the number higher, saying 140,322 of those who had stayed illegally had left.
“A process to arrest the foreigners … for deportation has started by Nov 1,” it said in a statement, while adding that voluntary return would still be encouraged.
A bulldozer is being used to demolish houses of Afghan refugees, during an operation by local authorities at a refugee camp in Islamabad on October 31. — AFP
Also today, thousands joined a snaking queue that stretched for seven kilometres at the busiest border point, where at least 29,000 had crossed back into Afghanistan the day before, AFP reported.
A 14-year-old Afghan girl, who AFP did not name for security reasons, said she would stay in Pakistan as long as possible, despite not having legal papers.
“We are not going back home, because my education in Afghanistan would come to a grinding halt,” she told AFP in Peshawar.
“Our father has told us that if he is arrested by Pakistani authorities, we should not leave even then. Because we will have no life in Afghanistan.”
In the capital Islamabad, police have already begun demolishing hundreds of illegally built mud homes where Afghans had been living in poverty.
“Enough is enough, tell us the route and we will arrange a vehicle and leave today. This humiliation is too much,” 35-year-old Baaz Muhammad told AFP, who was born in Pakistan to refugee parents, as he watched a bulldozer raze his home.
In the mega port city of Karachi, Afghans who have lived for generations at a refugee camp have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests and extortion.
Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan in recent decades, fleeing a series of violent conflicts, including an estimated 600,000 since the Taliban government seized power in August 2021 and imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law.
Pakistan has said the deportations are to protect the country’s “welfare and security” after a sharp rise in attacks, which the government blames on militants operating from Afghanistan.
The policy has widespread support from Pakistanis, observers say, with a protracted refugee presence putting a heavy burden on the country’s infrastructure.
Lawyers and activists have said the scale of the crackdown is unprecedented, appealing for Afghans — some of whom have lived for decades in the country — to be given more time to pack up with dignity.
In this photo taken on October 30, 2023, an Afghan man carries his sick daughter at the Afghanistan-Pakistan Torkham border in Nangarhar province. — AFP
Authorities on the Afghan side of the border have been overwhelmed by the scale of exodus as they attempt to process those returning — some of whom are stepping foot in Afghanistan for the first time in their lives.
An ad hoc settlement has sprung up near the border post, where people are becoming increasingly desperate, sleeping outdoors with limited access to food, water and medicines as they wait for registration.
The government has established a High Commission to address the issue and said two temporary camps would be set up in the area near Torkham.
Wednesday’s statement also urged wealthy Afghans to work with the High Commission to support returnees with transport, accommodation and shelter.
Officials have also said staff, technical reinforcements and trucks carrying mobile toilets, generators and water tankers were being deployed to Torkham.
Samiullah Samoon, who leads immigration registration at Torkham, said the crossing is facing “an emergency situation”.
After fleeing into Afghanistan, 35-year-old Benafsha, four months pregnant with her seventh child, is waiting to be processed before moving on to their province of origin, Kunduz.
“In Kunduz, we don’t have land, or a home, or work,” said the woman, who was never documented in Pakistan despite living almost all her life in the country. “We don’t have anything there.”
Govt initiates nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals
Shakeel Qarar | AFP | Nadir Guramani | ReutersNovember 1, 2023
Afghan refugees gather around National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) vans for biometric verifications as they prepare to depart for Afghanistan, at a holding centre in Landi Kotal on Nov 1.
The government has initiated a nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans, after the deadline to voluntarily leave the country expired, it emerged on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by Oct 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.
Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented.
While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the caretakers refused to budge from the deadline, insisting the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
The government has decided to keep foreign nationals residing in the country without identity documents in “holding centres” before deporting them to their respective countries.
Such centres have been established in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Attock while over 800 houses of the ‘illegal immigrants’ were demolished in the capital a day ago. Similarly, 52,000 illegal residents have been identified and mapped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a crackdown.
In an interior ministry notification dated October 30, which Dawn.com has seen, the government recalled the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” which it said it had approved on September 21 for the “repatriation of all illegal/unregistered foreigners, including those who are overstaying their visa validity period”.
The ministry said it was “pleased to convey consent to and order repatriation of all such illegal/unregistered foreigners, including those overstaying their visa validity period, who are presently under trial or undergoing any sentence” under Section 14B (deportation pending trial or undergoing sentence of imprisonment) of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
It further stated that foreigners “who are under trial or undergoing sentence for any offence other than specified in the Foreigners Act” were not to be repatriated.
Noting that it was “expedient to authorise district administration, police, prosecution, jail administration and all authorities that may be relevant, to take steps for arrest, detention (in jails or any other suitable premises) and departure of such illegal foreigners”, the government said it was invoking the provisions of sub-sections 1, 2(c), 2(e)(1) and 2(g) of Section 3 (power to make orders) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 with effect from Nov 1.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti shared a video of Afghan nationals lined up to board a bus to the neighbouring country.
“This action is a testament to Pakistan’s determination to repatriate any individuals residing in the country without proper documentation,” he said.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, it is the first time in the country’s history that the interior ministry has “issued instructions to all provinces to deport illegal foreigners under the Foreigners Act”.
The identification process of 0.2m illegal foreigners residing in Sindh has been completed, the report said. It added that operations have also been initiated in Punjab and Balochistan “to deport illegal Afghans and their data is being checked by scanning”.
Authorities in KP, where the majority of Afghan migrants live, will launch a widespread operation to arrest undocumented families who refuse to leave, caretaker information minister Barrister Firoze Jamal Shah told AFP.
AFP quoted the state media as saying that 49 holding centres, some capable of holding several thousand people, were set to open across the country on Wednesday to process and deport Afghans.
FM Jilani terms concerns ‘huge misperception’
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani termed the concerns raised over the government’s decision as a “huge misperception”, which he said was especially developed by the media.
Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani speaks to reporters on Nov 1. — Screengrab from video provided by Nadir Guramani
Speaking to Dawn.com, he noted that there was a need to inform the media about the “real situation”. The minister claimed, “I will only say that the majority of Afghan refugees, who have registration cards, are not at all being expelled.”
“Other than that, those who have documents, they are not being [expelled] either,” he said without specifying which documents.
The foreign minister added, “Thirdly, the vulnerable communities among Afghans, which include minorities or there are some other people who have apprehensions that they will have to face some issues after going there, we will also adopt a flexible approach towards them.”
FM Jilani then said that only those who had “no documents at all and were residing here without any documents”, were being told to return to their home country.
He went on to say that the caretaker prime minister and his cabinet had decided that such people’s “dignity and the respect of their women and children will be taken care of”.
Taliban govt calls for more time for Afghans to leave Pakistan
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Taliban government urged Pakistan to give undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts swarmed by thousands of returnees fleeing the threat of deportation.In a statement, Taliban authorities thanked Pakistan and other countries that have hosted millions of Afghans who fled their country during decades of conflict, but “asked them to not forcibly deport Afghans with little notice but to give them time to prepare”.
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban government has urged Afghans to return home but has also condemned Pakistan’s actions, saying nationals are being punished for tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, and calling for people to be given more time to depart.
Mass exodus of Afghans as deadline arrives
A police officer sits with detained Afghan nationals, who according to them were undocumented, as they shift them to a holding centre, after Pakistan gave the last warning to undocumented migrants to leave, in Karachi, Pakistan on Nov 1. — Reuters
More than 140,000 undocumented immigrants, most of them Afghan nationals, have returned to their Taliban-ruled homeland, Reuters quoted Pakistani officials as saying.
A KP senior official said about 104,000 Afghan nationals had left through the main Torkham border crossing during the last two weeks.
“Some of them have been living in Pakistan for more than 30 years without any proof of registration,” said Nasir Khan, the deputy commissioner of the area.
An as yet undetermined number have also left via Balochistan’s Chaman border crossing. However, Pakistan’s interior ministry put the number higher, saying 140,322 of those who had stayed illegally had left.
“A process to arrest the foreigners … for deportation has started by Nov 1,” it said in a statement, while adding that voluntary return would still be encouraged.
A bulldozer is being used to demolish houses of Afghan refugees, during an operation by local authorities at a refugee camp in Islamabad on October 31. — AFP
Also today, thousands joined a snaking queue that stretched for seven kilometres at the busiest border point, where at least 29,000 had crossed back into Afghanistan the day before, AFP reported.
A 14-year-old Afghan girl, who AFP did not name for security reasons, said she would stay in Pakistan as long as possible, despite not having legal papers.
“We are not going back home, because my education in Afghanistan would come to a grinding halt,” she told AFP in Peshawar.
“Our father has told us that if he is arrested by Pakistani authorities, we should not leave even then. Because we will have no life in Afghanistan.”
In the capital Islamabad, police have already begun demolishing hundreds of illegally built mud homes where Afghans had been living in poverty.
“Enough is enough, tell us the route and we will arrange a vehicle and leave today. This humiliation is too much,” 35-year-old Baaz Muhammad told AFP, who was born in Pakistan to refugee parents, as he watched a bulldozer raze his home.
In the mega port city of Karachi, Afghans who have lived for generations at a refugee camp have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests and extortion.
Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan in recent decades, fleeing a series of violent conflicts, including an estimated 600,000 since the Taliban government seized power in August 2021 and imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law.
Pakistan has said the deportations are to protect the country’s “welfare and security” after a sharp rise in attacks, which the government blames on militants operating from Afghanistan.
The policy has widespread support from Pakistanis, observers say, with a protracted refugee presence putting a heavy burden on the country’s infrastructure.
Lawyers and activists have said the scale of the crackdown is unprecedented, appealing for Afghans — some of whom have lived for decades in the country — to be given more time to pack up with dignity.
‘Emergency situation’
In this photo taken on October 30, 2023, an Afghan man carries his sick daughter at the Afghanistan-Pakistan Torkham border in Nangarhar province. — AFP
Authorities on the Afghan side of the border have been overwhelmed by the scale of exodus as they attempt to process those returning — some of whom are stepping foot in Afghanistan for the first time in their lives.
An ad hoc settlement has sprung up near the border post, where people are becoming increasingly desperate, sleeping outdoors with limited access to food, water and medicines as they wait for registration.
The government has established a High Commission to address the issue and said two temporary camps would be set up in the area near Torkham.
Wednesday’s statement also urged wealthy Afghans to work with the High Commission to support returnees with transport, accommodation and shelter.
Officials have also said staff, technical reinforcements and trucks carrying mobile toilets, generators and water tankers were being deployed to Torkham.
Samiullah Samoon, who leads immigration registration at Torkham, said the crossing is facing “an emergency situation”.
After fleeing into Afghanistan, 35-year-old Benafsha, four months pregnant with her seventh child, is waiting to be processed before moving on to their province of origin, Kunduz.
“In Kunduz, we don’t have land, or a home, or work,” said the woman, who was never documented in Pakistan despite living almost all her life in the country. “We don’t have anything there.”
I am not against the policy of deporting illegal Afghans but there needs to be a proper process.
First, Afghans residing legally should not be touched.
Secondly, Afghans staying legally beyond a certain period of time and abiding by the writ of state should be given a channel to regularize themselves so that they don’t have to go back.
Thirdly, Afghans living illegally and engaging in illegal activities should be deported.
The establishment ruling Pakistan can’t just go full retard like its a battle on the border. That’s why these folks are not fit for purpose to engage in policy making and implementation. You got to build a process, take into consideration all scenarios and implement in a logical manner.
I don’t want to get into the argument the reason behind why there are so many Afghans seeping through the border from Afghanistan without proper control.
First, Afghans residing legally should not be touched.
Secondly, Afghans staying legally beyond a certain period of time and abiding by the writ of state should be given a channel to regularize themselves so that they don’t have to go back.
Thirdly, Afghans living illegally and engaging in illegal activities should be deported.
The establishment ruling Pakistan can’t just go full retard like its a battle on the border. That’s why these folks are not fit for purpose to engage in policy making and implementation. You got to build a process, take into consideration all scenarios and implement in a logical manner.
I don’t want to get into the argument the reason behind why there are so many Afghans seeping through the border from Afghanistan without proper control.
313ghazi
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100% agree with this. They are commiting zulm and ruining our relationships with our neighbours at the same time.
One_Nation
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They are already anti-pakistan while living in Pakistan.
ghazi52
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BBC ..
By Caroline Davies
Pakistan correspondent
Pakistan has started to arrest Afghans as the country begins a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals it says are in the country illegally.
Thousands of Afghans in Pakistan have made their way back to Afghanistan in the last two months. But many of them, who have called Pakistan home for decades, say they have nothing to go back to, while others say they are terrified to be heading back to the Taliban government.
You know you are getting closer to the border when the stream of trucks thickens. Faces old and young watch the road, sitting atop piles of furniture, firewood, cookers and air conditioning units that judder precariously as the vehicles weave through traffic on their way to Afghanistan.
Pakistan is home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented, according to authorities. As Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan has seen people travel across the border for safety for four decades, from the 1979 Soviet invasion through to the more recent return of the Taliban in 2021.
By Caroline Davies
Pakistan correspondent
Pakistan has started to arrest Afghans as the country begins a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals it says are in the country illegally.
Thousands of Afghans in Pakistan have made their way back to Afghanistan in the last two months. But many of them, who have called Pakistan home for decades, say they have nothing to go back to, while others say they are terrified to be heading back to the Taliban government.
You know you are getting closer to the border when the stream of trucks thickens. Faces old and young watch the road, sitting atop piles of furniture, firewood, cookers and air conditioning units that judder precariously as the vehicles weave through traffic on their way to Afghanistan.
Pakistan is home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented, according to authorities. As Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan has seen people travel across the border for safety for four decades, from the 1979 Soviet invasion through to the more recent return of the Taliban in 2021.
ghazi52
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.,.,.
Yasin Jabalpuri
November 01, 2023
An operation has been launched against more than 200,000 illegal aliens in the metropolitan city after the November 1 deadline for them to leave voluntarily expired on Wednesday. Action is being taken against illegal immigrants and their facilitators and protectors during the operation initiated simultaneously in all seven districts of Karachi.
The law enforcement agencies are preparing for potential resistance during the operation, particularly in areas like Sohrab Goth, and the slums around it. “The federal government had set one-month deadline for foreign nationals staying illegally in the country to return voluntarily to their respective countries,” Irfan Ali Bahadur, SSP for East District, told The Express Tribune. “Holding Centres have been set up in Karachi and throughout the country to facilitate their surrender,” he added.
Many foreigners, particularly Afghan nationals, chose to return voluntarily with their families and belongings. However, those without proper documentation were arrested by police, had their criminal records checked, and charged under the Foreigners Act and other relevant laws. Subsequently, they were handed over to the FIA for deportation. Refugees with valid documents were released on bail by the court.
Acting upon the orders of Sindh’s caretaker home minister, IG and AIG Sindh police, SSPs of the seven districts, led by the DIGs of the three police zones in Karachi, launched this operation. The initial arrests were made by Saddar police who detained four illegal Afghan aliens identified as Noor Shah, Kamran Khan, Umar Gul, and Andalib.
They were shifted to the Holding Camp set up at Old Haji Camp in Sultanabad area, where officials from the FIA, Customs, and NADRA prepared temporary documents for them for their subsequent deportation.
Meanwhile, a heavy police contingent, led by SP Aziz Ahmed, launched an operation in Sohrab Goth, Machar Colony, and Al-Asif Square. They took several suspects into custody, transferring them to the SP office. The operation followed announcements on loudspeakers for illegal immigrants to voluntarily leave the country.
According to a conservative estimate, more than 20,000 illegal aliens have returned to their countries, while 50,000 to 100,000 immigrants are still present. SP Aziz Ahmed stated that more than 1,000 foreign nationals have been apprehended by October 31. He added that areas with a high number of immigrants have been identified, and operations would be conducted there.
Police personnel stand guard outside a holding centre, newly opened to process and deport Afghans in Karachi on November 1, 2023. PHOTO: AFP
In the second phase, those immigrants with illegal documents, including identity cards and passports, will be arrested and punished in accordance with Pakistani law before their deportation to their home countries, officials said. Sources have added that the Sindh government has blocked the ID cards of most illegal aliens through NADRA and their assets will be confiscated.
In the third phase, settlements occupied by illegal aliens in various areas of the metropolitan city, including Super Highway, will be demolished. The Special Branch SSP is assisting other law enforcement agencies, including police. Heavy machinery will be used to raze illegal settlements, and strict legal action will be taken against those who resist. Apart from police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies will also participate in the operation.
Official data suggests that around 75,000 illegal foreigners reside in District East, 9,000 in District Central, 7,000 in District South, 9,000 in District Central, 13,000 in Malir, and 8,000 in District Keamari. However, unofficial data indicates that more than 400,000 Afghans reside in Karachi alone.
Police officials report that 65,000 foreigners have settled in Gulzar-e-Hijri, creating illegal societies. Moreover, foreigners work as garbage collectors, operate vehicles such as pickup trucks, and engage in various jobs throughout the city, including junk shops, tandoors, tea shops, retail outlets, and cement and gravel stores.
Operation launched against illegal aliens in Karachi
Immigrants with illegal ID cards, passports, will be arrested in 2nd phase, illegal settlements will be razed in 3rdYasin Jabalpuri
November 01, 2023
An operation has been launched against more than 200,000 illegal aliens in the metropolitan city after the November 1 deadline for them to leave voluntarily expired on Wednesday. Action is being taken against illegal immigrants and their facilitators and protectors during the operation initiated simultaneously in all seven districts of Karachi.
The law enforcement agencies are preparing for potential resistance during the operation, particularly in areas like Sohrab Goth, and the slums around it. “The federal government had set one-month deadline for foreign nationals staying illegally in the country to return voluntarily to their respective countries,” Irfan Ali Bahadur, SSP for East District, told The Express Tribune. “Holding Centres have been set up in Karachi and throughout the country to facilitate their surrender,” he added.
Many foreigners, particularly Afghan nationals, chose to return voluntarily with their families and belongings. However, those without proper documentation were arrested by police, had their criminal records checked, and charged under the Foreigners Act and other relevant laws. Subsequently, they were handed over to the FIA for deportation. Refugees with valid documents were released on bail by the court.
Acting upon the orders of Sindh’s caretaker home minister, IG and AIG Sindh police, SSPs of the seven districts, led by the DIGs of the three police zones in Karachi, launched this operation. The initial arrests were made by Saddar police who detained four illegal Afghan aliens identified as Noor Shah, Kamran Khan, Umar Gul, and Andalib.
They were shifted to the Holding Camp set up at Old Haji Camp in Sultanabad area, where officials from the FIA, Customs, and NADRA prepared temporary documents for them for their subsequent deportation.
Meanwhile, a heavy police contingent, led by SP Aziz Ahmed, launched an operation in Sohrab Goth, Machar Colony, and Al-Asif Square. They took several suspects into custody, transferring them to the SP office. The operation followed announcements on loudspeakers for illegal immigrants to voluntarily leave the country.
According to a conservative estimate, more than 20,000 illegal aliens have returned to their countries, while 50,000 to 100,000 immigrants are still present. SP Aziz Ahmed stated that more than 1,000 foreign nationals have been apprehended by October 31. He added that areas with a high number of immigrants have been identified, and operations would be conducted there.
Police personnel stand guard outside a holding centre, newly opened to process and deport Afghans in Karachi on November 1, 2023. PHOTO: AFP
In the second phase, those immigrants with illegal documents, including identity cards and passports, will be arrested and punished in accordance with Pakistani law before their deportation to their home countries, officials said. Sources have added that the Sindh government has blocked the ID cards of most illegal aliens through NADRA and their assets will be confiscated.
In the third phase, settlements occupied by illegal aliens in various areas of the metropolitan city, including Super Highway, will be demolished. The Special Branch SSP is assisting other law enforcement agencies, including police. Heavy machinery will be used to raze illegal settlements, and strict legal action will be taken against those who resist. Apart from police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies will also participate in the operation.
Official data suggests that around 75,000 illegal foreigners reside in District East, 9,000 in District Central, 7,000 in District South, 9,000 in District Central, 13,000 in Malir, and 8,000 in District Keamari. However, unofficial data indicates that more than 400,000 Afghans reside in Karachi alone.
Police officials report that 65,000 foreigners have settled in Gulzar-e-Hijri, creating illegal societies. Moreover, foreigners work as garbage collectors, operate vehicles such as pickup trucks, and engage in various jobs throughout the city, including junk shops, tandoors, tea shops, retail outlets, and cement and gravel stores.
Maula Jatt
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This needs to Stop!! Period
Muhammad Saftain Anjum
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Good bye kid
Wish you good future in Afghanistan
I am still seeing the same no of Afghans here in my city
Are Punjab authorities sleeping?
Hope this operation completes successfully before the elections.
They are already ruined.
ghazi52
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