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Over 1,67,000 Afghan nationals who were residing in Pakistan without legal status have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, ARY News reported on Sunday.
In the last 24 hours, a total of 7,135 Afghan citizens returned to Afghanistan from the Torkham border crossing, according to Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees' (CAR) statement. Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials are actively collecting data on individuals returning to their home country. "Since October 1st, 1,67,774 Afghan citizens who were illegally staying in Pakistan have returned home till now," the Commissionerate has said. On October 3, the apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP), led by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, granted all foreign nationals living illegally in Pakistan until October 31 the right to depart voluntarily or face deportation. Following the expiration of this deadline, the caretaker government initiated actions to address the issue of illegal immigrants, with a significant number of them being Afghan nationals staying in Pakistan without proper documentation. The repatriation process for these illegal Afghan immigrants is actively underway through the Chaman and Torkham borders. Caretaker Minister for Interior Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti has directed the relevant authorities to develop a comprehensive strategy for the repatriation of foreigners residing in Pakistan without legal status. The caretaker interior minister emphasised the government's commitment to addressing illegal immigration and ensuring the security of foreigners. He underscored that maintaining law and order remains a top priority and emphasised a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive activities by individuals or groups. The minister further instructed the authorities to formulate a comprehensive plan to facilitate the return of foreigners who are illegally residing in Pakistan, ARY News reported. (ANI)
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