The provincial government has devised a strategy to compile the data of Afghan refugees and other foreign nationals residing without valid documents in five districts of the Peshawar Division by Oct 31.
The districts include Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand and Khyber.
In order to handle the influx of the illegal immigrants, instructions have been issued to set up temporary camps at Azakhel, Chamkani and Haji Camp areas of Peshawar.
“All institutions concerned have been instructed to provide the names of the focal persons within 24 hours,” Peshawar Division Commissioner Muhammad Zubair said while presiding over a meeting regarding compiling the data of Afghan refugees and other foreign residents residing illegally.
The meeting was conducted on the instructions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa home secretary and attended by deputy commissioners of all five districts of Peshawar Division, district police officers as well as officers of Intelligence Bureau, Special Branch and National Data and Registration Authority.
The meeting reviewed the arrangements for the return of foreign immigrants, in which orders were issued to compile the data of Afghan refugees and other foreign residents residing illegally in the Peshawar Division by Oct 31.
The Peshawar commissioner has been directed to establish committees at the police station level in all the five districts of Peshawar Division, organise data and also search the properties and assets of Afghan refugees.
It was also decided to set up temporary camps in Azakhel, Chamkani and Haji Camp for foreigners coming from Punjab and outside districts and Afghan refugees in Peshawar, for which the Peshawar deputy commissioner was instructed to provide a report of the arrangements within 24 hours.
The commissioner informed the participants that the data of illegal Afghan refugees and foreigners should be entered daily on the app prepared by the provincial government and ensure full implementation of the instructions in this regard.
The participants were instructed not to harass Afghan refugees and other foreign nationals residing legally.
“Schedule IV should also be updated,” the commissioner added. “Orders have been issued to complete the data of Afghan refugees and other foreign residents living illegally in the division by Oct 31.”
The federal government had launched a crackdown against those Afghan nationals who were living without proper documentation in the country in view of security threats.
The government believes that such a move could prevent terrorist attacks from taking place in the country.
The move comes after Islamabad apprised Kabul of its concerns. However, despite several assurances by the interim Afghan government, no substantial step had been taken to curb the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s attacks.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2023.
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