Illegal Afghan families start returning back to Afghanistan

F.P. Report

LANDI KOTAL: Thirty Afghan families, (300 persons) unlawfully resided in Pakistan, returned back to their motherland, Afghanistan via Torkham border in two days after the government announced a short voluntary departure deadline for illegal immigrants.

No special arrangements had been planned for the departed Afghanis and the families crossed the border to their native country following a routine clearance of the Kabul bound vehicles, loaded with their household goods, custom and security officials said.

It is worth mentioning here that keeping in view the security situation and poor economic condition, a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq held in Islamabad last day decided under the National Action Plan to repatriate all illegal foreign residents.

Briefing the media, caretaker Interior Federal Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the government had set November 1 as the deadline for immigrants to depart the country.

He maintained that a definite deadline had been given to expel illegal foreign residents, so that they could sell their assets until the expected deadline and upon the expiration of the deadline, foreign nationals would be dispossessed of their properties in Pakistan.

Afghan citizens can only travel to Pakistan through the legally implemented digitized “e-Tazkira,” and only holders of “Proof of Registration” will be eligible for Afghan residency in Pakistan, the Minister added and said that Afghan citizens holding legal visas will also be eligible to travel to Pakistan, while illegal Afghan residents in Pakistan will also be required to return to their home country before the possible deadline.

As per United Nation latest figure, around 1.3 million Afghans are registered refugees in Pakistan and 880,000 more have legal status to remain, however the   Minister Sarfraz Bugti said a further 1.7 million Afghans were in Pakistan illegally.

Qaisar Khan Afridi, an official of the UN High Commis­sioner for Refugees (UNHCR) opposed the deadline and said “Any refugee return must be voluntary and without any pressure to ensure protection for those seeking safe­­ty,” He said that the UNHCR was prepared to assist Pakistan in establishing a system for overseeing and recording individuals seeking international protection within its borders and addressing ‘specific vulnerabilities.’

In a APEX committee meeting  it was decided  that a massive crackdown will be launched against illegal foreign immigrants from the first of November and as per order they will be arrest, forcibly repatriated in addition to confiscation of property and businesses.

 October 10 was set a deadline for ordinary Tazkira(Afghan ID card) for Afghanis and till October 31 only computerized Tazkira will be acceptable that will follow proper legal travelling documents(passport and visa),the government order stated.

On the other hand the Afghan government rejected the decision of Pakistan to expel illegal Afghan citizens.

 A spokesperson in the Taliban administration in Kabul said, the behavior of Pakistan against Afghan refugees is unacceptable. The Pakistani side should reconsider its plan. Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan security problems. As long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily, that country should tolerate them.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government established a relief camp in Lalpura, the bordering area to facilitate the Afghan nationals who returned back to Afghanistan from Pakistan.