PESHAWAR: The repatriation and deportation of Afghan nationals from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border points continue as a part of Pakistan’s ongoing attempts to deal with immigration problems.
According to official sources, almost one million Afghan citizens have been sent back to their home country since the initiation of the process.
As of now, the total number of returned Afghan nationals stands at 988,813 and it includes people from different categories:
Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders: 230,470 persons
Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders: 71,570 persons
Illegal migrants: 686,772 persons
On the previous day alone, 2,312 Afghan nationals were turned back, classified as follows:
PoR cardholders: 1,522 persons
ACC cardholders: 277 persons
Illegal migrants: 513 persons
Most of this repatriation is taking place at the Torkham border, which is a major route between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Officials have vowed to conduct the repatriation process in a legal and clean way, ensuring each person is sent back by his/her legal status and classification.
Moreover, the authorities stated that it is a public-friendly operation, thus it becomes easier and faster to do so without causing long delays.
The present repatriation campaign is the first step in a larger project dealing with the registration and identification of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, besides the improvement of security and public services in the border areas. Hence, through regulation enforcement and returning both the registered and unregistered immigrants, the government aims to bring order and stability back to the regions concerned.
Stranded Pakistani students return home via Torkham border
Earlier, as many as 28 Pakistani students, stuck in Afghanistan due to the border blockade were permitted to cross in Pakistan, border security officials said on Monday.
They said that after immigration and security clearance, the students entered Pakistan via the Torkham border.
Dozens of Pakistani students’ study in medical and other faculties in various Afghanistan universities.
However, they have been stranded there for the last three months, has multiplied their miseries, students said.
The returning learners thanked the Pak-Afghan authorities for the positive initiative.
