QUETTA: As many as 41,000 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan via Chaman border since April 11 as the process of repatriation of Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan continues.
Deputy Commissioner Chaman Habib Bangulzai showed satisfaction over the facilities provide to the Afghans in the camp after the visiting the camp established for the Afghan refugees located at the Zero Point of the Pak-Afghan border, Chaman district of Balochistan.
DC said that it is the right time for the Afghan refugees to return to their homeland as the peace was established in Afghanistan, Afghan should go back to their country and started their own lives which they left because of worsened law and order situation in Afghanistan.
He informed that a crackdown has also been started against Afghans residing illegally in the district and asked the Afghans to cooperate with the local administration and returned to their country, adding Pakistan made this decision after hosting millions of Afghan refugees for decades.
The Pakistan had given them a deadline to leave the country by March 31.
Earlier, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry had said in a press conference held in Islamabad on April 10, the deadline given to Afghan refugees has been expired and no further extension will be given on this regard.
Talal informed that only those will be allowed to work and stay in Pakistan who have valid visa and passport, adding that pakistan will strictly implement the one-document policy
Minister reminded that the policy of repatriating illegal foreign citizens has been in effect since October 30, 2023.
Talal said that the repatriation process of Afghan nationals will be completed in three phases, In the first phase, illegal foreign nationals without legal documents were sent back to their countries. In the second phase, Afghan Citizen Card holders are being repatriated to their homeland, while in the third phase, Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration cards will be deported.
The government has established 38 transit points in Punjab, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in Sindh, three in Azad Kashmir, and one each in Balochistan, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan. with shelter, food, medical care, and transport facilities, while their honor and dignity are being upheld during the repatriation process.
There were 815,247 Afghans registered as Citizen Card holders while 1,469,522 were registered under the Proof of Registration programme, Talal said.
