'Second phase of illegal Afghans' repatriation after Eid'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has ‘decided’ to launch a second phase of deporting illegal Afghans after Eidul Fitr, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources within the Interior Ministry, recently taken over by Mohsin Naqvi, has informed the federating units about the launch of the second phase of illegal Afghans’ deportation.

However, the final date of the crackdown will be revealed later.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, 2023, chaired by the then-caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

Since the expiry of the deadline over 500,000 illegal Afghans have returned to their homeland via the Torkham and Chaman borders.

Pakistan faced criticism from several countries including US, UK, Afghanistan and others, but it rejected all the statements and said only Afghans living illegally in Pakistan were being deported to control increasing crimes.