Afghan families start leaving Pakistan after govt’s deadline

30 families crossed into Afghanistan from Torkham in just one day, says official.

PESHAWAR: As the federal government has set a deadline of November 1 for all aliens living in the country without documentations, trucks carrying Afghan families have seen crossing into Afghanistan from Torkham border.

An official of the Afghan Commissionerate deputed at the Torkham border said that Afghan families crossed the border in trucks along with their luggage after arriving at Torkham from different parts of Pakistan. The arrival of the Afghan nationals at the border started two days back, he added.

He said 16 trucks carrying 30 families returned to Afghanistan on Friday, adding the Afghans were being allowed to cross into their country after completing all legal formalities. These 30 families consisted of 204 people, mostly women and children.

But another official added that it was common for the Afghan nationals to return to their country throughout the year. The return of these Afghans has not gained momentum as over three weeks were still left in the deadline to expire.

On October 3, the federal government fixed Nov 1 as the deadline for all foreigners illegally living in Pakistan to go back to their countries.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the Apex Committee, the interior minister said after expiry of the deadline all law enforcement agencies would deport the aliens, including Afghan nationals.

Sources told News Diplomacy that most of the Afghans who came to Pakistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul had no documents and were living in the country illegally. Fearing arrest and deportation after the deadline, they are now preparing to return to their country. 

Some of the Afghans nationals are also in the process of moving to other countries such as Europe and the Middle East, they added.

Meanwhile, despite criticism of the government move, caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said that the government would go ahead with its plan of deporting all illegal aliens after expiry of the Nov 1 deadline.  

  

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