On Sunday, as part of an ongoing repatriation effort, 1,636 Afghan nationals were deported from Punjab and Sindh. The largest group, consisting of 5,111 individuals, was transferred to transit camps and holding centers across Punjab for repatriation, including 2,301 children and 1,120 women.
Many of these individuals carried Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), which were issued by NADRA after verification through the FIA, police, and other agencies. According to an official, security agencies identified around 100,000 Afghan nationals living illegally in over 150 ‘Afghan Colonies’ across Punjab. The official also highlighted that Afghan residents fall into four categories.
One of these groups includes refugees who are settled throughout the country under the UNHCR mandate. As a signatory to the Geneva Convention, Pakistan is obligated to provide legal protection to these refugees, and they are not being repatriated in accordance with international commitments.