ISLAMABAD: The government has directed authorities across the country to arrest Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas from July 10 as part of its ongoing Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP).
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior, the directive has been sent to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as well as the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)
and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and the chief commissioner of Islamabad.
The notification refers to decisions taken during a review meeting on the IFRP held on June 1 under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control. During the meeting, all provincial governments, special area governments and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration were instructed to expedite the repatriation and deportation of Afghan nationals, including those who had overstayed their visas, and ensure strict implementation of the repatriation plan.
It stated that with effect from July 10, any Afghan national found residing in Pakistan without a valid visa would be liable to be arrested immediately.
The provincial authorities had been directed to issue necessary instructions to the deputy commissioners, the district administrations, police, and other law
enforcement agencies to ensure uniform and effective enforcement of the directive.
The ministry had also asked all provincial governments and the ICT administration to submit daily reports from July 11, detailing the number of Afghan nationals found without valid visas, the action taken against them, and their current status. The reports would be coordinated by the ministry’s designated focal person.
It is pertinent to mention here that the deportation drive, first launched in 2023, was renewed in April last year when the government rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans, warning them of arrests if they did not leave.
Last year alone, Pakistan deported over 1,155,221 Afghan nationals.
The repatriated Afghans included 163,429 with proof of registration cards, 74,943 holding Afghan citizen cards, 509,671 were undocumented individuals, and 407,178 were voluntary returnees.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026