Kabul [Afghanistan], October 13 : Thousands of Afghan families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are concerned about their stay in Pakistan after the government proposed a deadline for the unregistered foreigners to leave the country before October 31, The News International newspaper reported.
The News International is an English-language newspaper in Pakistan.
The deadline is for undocumented foreigners who neither possess any proof of registration (PoR) card issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees nor any visa or other document to legalize their stay in Pakistan. There are reports that thousands of Afghan families are also believed to have obtained Pakistani CNICs through fake documents.
The government decision has triggered concern among all families and individuals settled in urban and rural parts of KP.
Only the refugees possessing PoR cards or any other document that legalize their stay have been told not to get worried as they will not be deported in the coming drive.
Meanwhile, a number of political leaders and people from other walks of life have asked the Pakistan government to take care of the honour of the Afghan families settled in the country as guests for decades.
As per officials, there are around 0.7 million Afghans living in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as refugees. The highest number of these refugees, over 221,300, are settled in the provincial capital, according to The News International.
Thousands of other Afghans are also believed to be living in KP without any document that legalizes their stay in Pakistan.
A large number of unregistered families have started packing up to return to Afghanistan after the authorities set October 31 as the deadline for their deportation. Scores of these families are entering Afghanistan daily via Torkham.
The Federal Investigation Agency and other agencies are collecting the details of those who obtained Pakistani CNICs in the last several years and own properties and businesses.
An official of the FIA said they are working on such cases and have recently arrested a few officials of a government department involved in issuing fake CNICs to foreigners.
Police have arrested hundreds of unregistered Afghans during the current year under 14 Foreigners Act for not possessing any documents.
Besides, according to police, 385 Afghan nationals were arrested for alleged involvement in crimes in the provincial capital during the current year, as per The News International.
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