Immigration authorities have announced that 5,236 Afghan nationals were repatriated via the Torkham border crossing on Thursday, adding that 3,865 of these had voluntarily arrived at the Landi Kotal transit camp.
According to officials, 107 Afghan citizens apprehended in Punjab and 295 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir were also transferred to Torkham for deportation.
In a video statement, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry maintained that Afghan citizens are being repatriated in a dignified manner. He noted that transit points in all provinces were facilitating Afghan citizens, adding a helpline had been set up to register any complaints.
Stressing that there would be no more extensions to the March 31 deadline for illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, to exit the country, he said 857,157 undocumented foreigners and Afghan Citizen Card holders had been repatriated already.
“One-document regime will be fully implemented, requiring valid visas and passports to enter Pakistan,” he said, stressing that all voluntary exits would be permitted to return to Pakistan on valid passports and visas.
Detailing the government’s future plans, he said the repatriation process would continue in a phased manner. In the first phase, illegal foreign nationals without legal documents were sent back to their countries; the second, and ongoing, phase aimed to repatriate Afghan Citizen Card holders; while the third phase would deport Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration cards.
Chaudhry emphasized that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghans for decades, but the country could not afford to do so indefinitely. He also noted that several Afghan citizens illegally residing in Pakistan were involved in the narcotics trade and terrorism-related activities in Pakistan.
In his statement, the minister also warned that thousands of Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement to Western countries would be deported from Pakistan if their host nations do not relocate them by April 30. Stressing that a blanket extension could not be granted for such people, he said the government could consider individual extensions if “cogent” reasons were provided.