By: Muhammad Ijaz Afridi
PESHAWAR: After rising tension between the centre and the province over the issue of illegal Afghan refugees, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has also launched strict action against the illegal Afghan refugees.
The Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued a strict order against the people residing illegally in the province and has made it mandatory for officers to report weekly on the eviction of Afghan refugees. Now these reports will be sent regularly to the Ministry of Interior, while the progress of the concerned officers regarding the eviction of illegal foreigners will be reviewed weekly.
Earlier, effective action was not being taken against the illegally residing Afghans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for which the federal government warned the provincial government several times and directed it to implement federal policies. According to the available evidence, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has now accelerated the process of deportation of Afghan refugees under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP).
The Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed all the concerned officers and departments to review the process of deportation of Afghan refugees every week and share the progress report with the Ministry of Interior. In this regard, all the details of the meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary have been sent to the Ministry of Interior by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department.
According to a letter issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department to the Secretary Ministry of Interior, the provincial government has so far repatriated more than 986,500 illegal foreigners under the IFRP. The letter states that on January 13, 2026, a detailed review of the phased progress of the project was held in a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary Home, Secretary Relief, all commissioners and regional police officers.
According to the document, the people repatriated till January 12, 2026, include 686,259 illegal foreigners who did not have any documents, while 71,293 Afghan Citizen Card holders and 228,948 Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders were also repatriated in different phases as per the federal policy.
The letter further states that 43 Afghan refugee camps established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been de-notified in a phased manner, a process that was completed during September and October 2025. Five camps in DI Khan, Bannu, Tank, Nowshera and Lower Chitral have been completely evacuated, while 101,428 people have been repatriated from the camps alone.
According to the Home Department, the district administration has taken control of the land and movable and immovable assets of the camps, including schools and health centres. The returnees are being provided free transport facilities from both the camps and the urban areas.
The document states that transit points have been set up at various locations where food, water, medical facilities and temporary accommodation are available, while security of routes and convoys has also been ensured in view of security concerns.
According to the letter, the provincial government has so far spent Rs275 million from its own resources on transport, logistics and administrative matters, while Rs369 million has been allocated to the deputy commissioners to make the evacuation process of the camps more effective.
The Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressing concerns over the slow pace of repatriation, has directed that all Divisional Commissioners prepare a date-wise and phased repatriation plan within 48 hours as per the district conditions. The progress will be reviewed weekly, and the report will be shared with the Ministry of Interior.
