Chaman: Acting on the directives of Deputy Commissioner Habib Ahmed Bangulzai, the Levies Force and Frontier Corps (FC) have launched a large-scale crackdown against Afghan refugees.
Operations were carried out in various parts of the city, during which several Afghan nationals were detained and moved to the border camp.
in Balochistan News Updates, the Deputy Commissioner stated that, in line with government instructions, Afghan refugees must return to their homeland without delay.
He warned that those who fail to leave within the given timeframe will face stricter action to ensure enforcement of the law.
The ongoing operations are part of a coordinated strategy by the district administration, Levies, and FC aimed at maintaining law and order and facilitating the repatriation of individuals residing illegally.
Balochistan’s border town of Chaman has long been a key crossing point for Afghan nationals entering and leaving Pakistan.
Following the Soviet-Afghan war in the late 1970s and the subsequent decades of conflict, hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees settled in Pakistan, with many residing in Balochistan due to its proximity to Kandahar and other southern Afghan provinces.
While Pakistan has hosted one of the world’s largest refugee populations for over four decades, periodic security concerns, economic pressures, and shifting regional politics have prompted successive governments to introduce repatriation drives.
Balochistan News Updates
Crackdowns like the current one are not new.
Similar operations were carried out after the 9/11 attacks, during heightened militancy in the mid-2000s, and again after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Authorities often cite rising cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and the need to maintain law and order as reasons for stricter enforcement.
The Chaman border—being both a trade and migration hub—has experienced recurring waves of screening, registration checks, and deportations.
The present campaign reflects Islamabad’s renewed emphasis on enforcing immigration laws and ensuring that only properly documented individuals remain in the country.
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The government maintains that regulated repatriation is necessary to balance national security concerns with economic and social stability in border districts like Chaman.
