The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has planned to launch a crackdown against the illegal Afghan immigrants in the province. A clean-up operation against Afghan citizens, who have been illegally staying in district Peshawar and its outskirts, will be initiated after a month; the operation could be expanded to other parts of the province, said District Co-ordinator Officer, Siraj Mohammad Khan, while giving briefing to media persons here on Wednesday.
Flanked by Syed Zaheerul Islam, Commissioner Afghan Refugees (CAR), Director Information, Shoaib Khan, he said that government has decided to launch area-wise clean-up operation against illegal Afghan citizens in Peshawar and elsewhere after one month's deadline. He said that basic aims are to establish peace and improve law-and-order situation, which was quite better several months ago.
Siraj Khan said that peace is imperative for the promotion of business and trade activities; therefore the government is going to take a decision in better interest of people of the province. He said that district government had already asked the owners to submit a true copy of the contract before they rent their house to anyone.
Under the 188 Foreign Act, he said, all illegal Afghan immigrants will be deported after launching a full-fledged crackdown from 25th May. However, he clarified that the registered Afghan citizens and granting Afghan Refugees' status could not be grilled under the clean-up operation.
He explained that district government has constituted different committees to collect data of illegal Afghan immigrants in district Peshawar, directed to submit immediately a comprehensive report to take prompt action against the said immigrants. He informed that about 0.8 million Afghans are illegally staying in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa out of which half of them, 0.4 million, are residing in district Peshawar.
Regarding the stay of illegal Afghans in religious seminaries, he said that the clean-up operation would be carried out where Afghans are without any documented evidence and proof in district Peshawar. About the registered Afghans Refugees, he explained that government and international organisations are providing all kind of facilities to them, saying that UN agency for Afghan Refugees (UNHCR) already announced to extend US $150 per Afghan family after initiating of volunteer repatriation from 10 December 2012.
Regarding the validity and invalidity of Afghans in the operation, he said that the data of registered Afghan immigrants with the relevant department and agencies would be available through which the legality of the immigrants could be ascertained. Syed Zaheerul Islam, Commissioner CAR while talking to reporters on sideline of the briefing said that a total number of 1.7 million Afghans are registered, whereas more than 1.2 million are unregistered in the country.
He repeated that a total of 0.8 million unregistered Afghan immigrants staying in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa out of which 0.4 million are residing without having any documented proof in district Peshawar. Zaheer maintained that about 42 Afghan Refugees' camps have been established in the country, out of which 29 camps exist in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The camps have also been established in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces, he added.