KHYBER: The authorities deported 180 Afghans including women and children via Torkham border here on Thursday.

Official sources told Dawn that these Afghans were illegally staying in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar and were deported to Afghanistan under the section 14 of Foreigners Act.

They said that among the total 180 Afghans, 63 were taken into custody by the police from different localities in Islamabad while another 99 were apprehended from Rawalpindi.

In Peshawar too, police arrested 18 Afghans after they were found to be staying illegally in Pakistan.

Of the total deported Afghans, there were seven women and nine children who were brought to the Torkham border in buses and handed over to Afghan border authorities after completion of their immigration process.

The local police in Landi Kotal said that the deported Afghans were taken direct to Torkham without they being handed over them.

Immigration officials in Torkham also informed that an average of 4,000 Afghans with visa and passport were going back to their country on daily basis since the pedestrian movement was restored a week ago on March 19.

The authorities have also started establishing a temporary registration centre near the Hamza Baba mausoleum in Landi Kotal in anticipation of the planned deportation of illegal Afghans after the expiry of March 31 deadline.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2025