ISLAMABAD: While the federal government has launched an operation to deport all illegal Afghan nationals, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday announced that no Afghan will be forcibly evicted from his province.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Gandapur said we have some traditions and such an action against the Afghans living in our country goes against our traditions. He however said any Afghan refugee who wishes to return to their country will be provided the required resources and facilities by his government.
He said he was against the deportation of Afghan refugees under any circumstances and would not forcibly evacuate any Afghan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On the other hand, after the end of the federal government’s deadline of March 31, action against Afghan citizens has been intensified and Afghan Citizen Card holders are being arrested in different parts of Pakistan including Punjab and Sindh for deportation.
According to Rawalpindi police sources, more than 50 Afghan citizens have been shifted to the refugee camp. The Afghan citizen card holders will be sent to Afghanistan from the camp.
Police sources said the card-holding families will also be taken into custody and shifted to the camp.
It may be recalled that the deadline of 31 March was fixed for the voluntary return of illegal Afghan refugees living in Pakistan .
According to Interior Ministry sources, the process could not start on April 1 due to the Eid holidays, but action was now being taken against illegal Afghan nationals across the country.
According to reports there are a total of 2.1 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees in Pakistan. According to the Ministry of Safran, there are 1.4 million legally registered Afghan refugees and 800,000 Afghan citizens who hold the Afghan Citizen Cards, whose stay in Pakistan is now considered illegal.
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