Thousands of illegal Afghans detained in Pakistan

KABUL’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have detained 1,900 illegal Afghan nationals in a series of search operations, a media report said on Saturday.  

A total of 5,550 suspects have been taken into custody and 1,800 weapons of different kinds were recovered from them, said a Pakistani newspaper, quoting a police report on the province-wide operations.

The News International said 19, 700 houses and 40, 000 hotels were searched for suspects while security of 23,557 educational institutions was scrutinised. The search operation was intensified after the Army Public School (APS) attack on December 16.

In Punjab province, police arrested 935 illegal Afghan refugees under the Foreign Act from different cities. Police also registered 465 cases against them. Of the 755 suspects sent to jails, 180 were bailed out.

At least, 150 Afghan families of Afghan nationals were repatriated to the country from residing Sialkot district. Police officer Syed Dilawar Abbas said the Afghan families could not produce any valid legal document.

Near the Torkham border, two Afghan minors, one-year-old Zarmina and five-month-old Farmina, froze to death due to severe cold in the Shagai area of Jamrud sub-district.

The victims’ family was travelling from Azad Kashmir to Torkham in a tractor trolley. When they reached Torkham at night, the border gate was locked and authorities did not allow the Afghans to cross into their country.  

PAN Monitor/mud