Crackdown against Afghan nationals underway in Sindh

KARACHI (Pajhwok): Authorities in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province have registered cases against 1,048 Afghan nationals arrested in the province during the last three months, officials told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday.

Crackdown by the federal and provincial governments against Afghan nationals is underway in the wake of Peshawar school attack.

A performance report by the provincial police chief, Ghulam Haider Jamali presented to Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif last week, has listed the cases being lodged from January 1, 2015 to March 18, 2015.

According to report, a copy of which is available with Pajhwok Afghan News, 615 Afghan nationals arrested from the seaside metropolis Karachi have been booked in 235 cases.

In Hyderabad 312 Afghan nationals are apprehended and booked in 135 cases. Dozens of others Afghan refugees were arrested from Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions respectively, the report said.

According to report 76 Afghan nationals were arrested and 25 cases were registered against them in Sukkar division. In Larkana division seven cases have been registered against 15 arrested Afghan refugees.

The prime minister was informed of the decision that repatriation of Afghan refugees should be expedited by approaching the federal government.

“Besides Karachi, Afghanis working as laborers in other parts of the province will be identified and arrangements should be made for their repatriation” the report stated.

Strategy should be devised to check bogus national identity cards and bank accounts obtained by Afghanis whereas the influx of Afghans from other province be checked, the report suggested.

It is pertinent to mention that Afghan ambassador to Islamabad has recently informed Pakistan’s foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry of Kabul reservations following which Islamabad ordered Sindh to put a halt to detaining and harassing Afghan nationals.

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