LAHROE: Punjab Police’s province-wide campaign to evacuate illegally residing foreign nationals is in full swing, with over 5,000 individuals already deported, officials confirmed.
According to Inspector General of Punjab Police Dr Usman Anwar, a total of 5,020 foreign nationals residing illegally in Punjab — including Lahore — have been deported as part of the ongoing operation. Authorities have so far transferred 7,672 individuals to designated holding centers, with 2,652 currently housed there.
To manage the operation, five holding centers have been set up in Lahore and another 46 across other districts in the province.
Dr Anwar stated that the federal government and intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the operation, which is being conducted in line with international deportation laws. He noted that complete records of nearly 89,000 illegal residents — including holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) — are available to law enforcement.
“All foreign nationals residing illegally were given prior notice to leave Pakistan voluntarily,” he said. “Regardless of nationality, it is imperative that those without legal status return to their home countries.”
The IG stressed that human rights are being fully respected throughout the evacuation process. Security has been placed on high alert during operations and field officers — including the CCPO Lahore, Regional police officers (RPOs), and district Police Officers (DPOs) have been directed to expedite deportations.
The campaign is being supported by the Special Branch, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and other intelligence agencies to identify and locate undocumented foreign nationals using intelligence-based methods.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.