PESHAWAR: Pakistan deported more than 3,500 Afghan nationals through the Torkham border yesterday as part of its ongoing crackdown on undocumented foreigners, officials confirmed.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Khyber District, Irshad Khan Mohmand, stated that the repatriation of illegal residents is in full swing. The government had earlier announced that Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders must leave the country by March 31 or face deportation. The removal drive officially began on April 1.
According to authorities, 3,514 undocumented individuals arrested across Punjab were deported via the Torkham crossing on Saturday alone. Among them, 756 were transported directly from various cities in Punjab, while 59 others were moved from the Peshawar-based Juma Khan transit camp.
Meanwhile, 2,758 individuals voluntarily presented themselves at the Landi Kotal transit camp, where legal procedures were completed before their deportation. Of these, 1,561 were undocumented, while 1,197 held ACCs.
Since the launch of the deportation campaign on April 1, a total of 33,258 illegal foreign nationals have been expelled, officials said.
