RAWALPINDI: Police continued search operations and a crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals residing in Rawalpindi, rounding up 13 persons, including eight women, and shifting them to the repatriation camp in H-9 for further legal proceedings.

Police sources said the arrests of illegal Afghan nationals occurred during a search operation launched in the Ratta Amral area on Friday.

Police said the Afghan nationals rounded up during the search operation were unable to produce valid visas to justify their stay in Pakistan and were later shifted to the holding centre in H-9, Islamabad.

All the detained illegal Afghan nationals were from Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Rawalpindi district police and Special Branch are continuing the crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals residing in the district.

Earlier in October, the Punjab government had sought a report from the district police chiefs of six districts, including Rawalpindi, regarding the implementation of the illegal foreigners’ repatriation plan in line with the federal government’s policy.

According to sources, the Punjab home department has asked the district police chiefs of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Sargodha, Muzaffargarh, and the CCPO Lahore to take appropriate action against illegal Afghan residents as per the policy of the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control.

Referring to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, along with a list of 24 complaints prepared by the federal control room, the National Crisis Information Management Cell, Islamabad, against illegal Afghan families, the provincial government has directed the district police chiefs to take action against illegal Afghan residents and submit a compliance report to the home department at the earliest.

Following the provincial government’s directive, the city police officer, Rawalpindi, has issued a directive to the SPs of Rawal, Potohar, and Saddar Divisions to submit a compliance report within three days regarding action against the illegal foreigners’ repatriation plan for onward submission to the concerned department.

A list of 24 individuals, containing the complainant’s names, caller names, contact numbers, city, police station, and the names of illegal Afghans residing in different parts of the province, was also sent to each district police chief.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026