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Pakistan, Punjab government, Afghan residents, deportation, illegal immigrants, crackdown, repatriation, November, Azma Bokhari, zero-tolerance policy, national security, undocumented foreignorted 6,220 undocumented Afghan nationals in November as part of an intensified, nationwide crackdown on illegally residing foreigners. This action marks the third phase of the government's repatriation plan.
Punjab's Information Minister, Azma Bokhari, stated that the operation is being conducted across the province in a systematic and lawful manner, under a strict "zero-tolerance policy." She confirmed that this campaign will continue efectively. The latest figures follow the deportation of around 22,000 Afghans from Punjab in the previous month of October.
To encourage public cooperation, the government has introduced a whistle blower incentive. Bokhari announced that citizens who provide accurate information leading to the capture of illegal Afghan residents will receive cash rewards, with a guarantee of complete confidentiality to protect their identities.
The government justifies the mass repatriation by citing risks to national security and the burden on public services. Forty-six holding centers have been established in Punjab to process individuals before they are transported to the Torkham Border for their return to Afghanistan. The large-scale deportations have raised concerns among international human rights organizations, who have called for the protection of vulnerable Afghans.
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