The Ministry of Interior has notified various borders of the return of Afghan refugees and decided to take records of all returning illegal foreigners including Afghan refugees in the form of photographs.
As per the ministry, Afghan refugees going from Islamabad will be sent back via the Torkham border crossing while Afghans going from Punjab will be sent from the Ghulam Khan border crossing point.
Afghan refugees going from Karachi to Quetta will be sent to Afghanistan via the Chaman border crossing.
Interior Ministry said that temporary camps will be set up in all major cities to accommodate illegal Afghans till the policy announcements from the government.
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said that the plan to expel illegal foreigners has been completed, and they will be shifted to 'holding centers' in their respective provinces, upon completion of the Nov 1 deadline for them to leave the country.
Bugti, addressing a press conference, said that the families of illegal foreigners — children and women —will be treated with utmost respect.
“There will be no compromise on the issue of return of foreigners,” he clarified.
Bugti said that after Nov 1, those who do not leave will be arrested and kept in holding centres. He also announced that the returnees could carry a maximum of Rs50,000 with them.
“Those creating fake identity cards and facilitating the illegal refugees will also be punished,” he said.
Illegal properties to be seized
Sarfraz Bugti said illegal properties of the illegal foreigners, including Afghan refugees, will also be confiscated and announced that action will be taken against the Pakistanis who facilitate the illegal foreigners.
First flight departs today
Afghan refugees of the special category are left under the supervision of British High Commission staff. All procedures including travel documents for special-category Afghan refugees have been completed. The FIA immigration counter is arranged separately at the airport. The first chartered flight carrying 132 Afghan refugees departed from Islamabad to the UK.
In this regard, arrangements have been completed at Islamabad International Airport. Airbus-330 chartered aircraft will be operated for the evacuation of Afghan refugees once a week.
