Afghans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa asked to obtain passports, valid visas for stay

Peshawar [Pakistan], August 30 (ANI): The Khyber district administration on Thursday directed all Afghan nationals to immediately acquire their national passports and conduct their businesses in accordance with the law, Dawn reported.

The assistant commissioner of Landi Kotal, Afrasiyab Zubair, and additional assistant commissioner Shahabuddin held a meeting with local elders, informing them that Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must also possess national passports stamped with valid Pakistani visas. Officials warned of legal action against violators after the August 31 deadline, Dawn added.

Meanwhile, a Landi Kotal resident, Abu Bakar, accused Tehsildar Taimur Afridi of unlawfully detaining his brother, Hazrat Ali, over a monetary dispute. Addressing a press conference at Landi Kotal Press Club, he alleged, "Tehsildar Taimur Afridi fraudulently implicated my brother Hazrat Ali in a monetary dispute and held him in illegal detention after calling him to the local police station," according to Dawn.

Abu Bakar further demanded that the deputy commissioner investigate the matter and take legal action against the tehsildar, stating that his family had no monetary dispute with him.

As part of a broader strategy to repatriate illegal foreigners, Pakistan has formed a joint sub-committee (JSC) comprising police and intelligence officers to identify and profile Afghan nationals holding PoR cards, Dawn reported. The JSC will support operational teams in implementing the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), linking individual compliance cases like that highlighted by Abu Bakar to the wider regulatory framework.

The committee will include the District Officer of Rawalpindi Special Branch, Deputy Superintendent of Police Security Rawalpindi, SAFRON representatives, CTD and Intelligence Bureau officials, Dawn added. PoR card holders will be profiled through provincial and district formations, and real-time information on their locations will be shared with police for IFRP implementation.

The government has outlined a strategy to expedite the voluntary return of PoR cardholders, while formal repatriation and deportation will commence from September 1, Dawn reported. Chief Secretaries, Inspector Generals of Police, and other authorities across Pakistan, including PoGB and Islamabad, have been instructed to facilitate returns without delay.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the Interim Afghan Government, UNHCR, and international partners if needed. NADRA will handle deregistration at transit and border points, while provincial governments will map PoR card holders, designate transit areas, arrange transport, and meet financial requirements.

Control rooms at federal and provincial levels will be activated, including a grievance hotline via the National Crisis Information Management Cell (NCIMC), with progress monitored through the Foreign Nationals Security Dashboard (FNSD), Dawn reported. (ANI)

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