SWABI: Police have begun compiling record of all non-locals, especially Afghan refugees, living in Swabi.The initiative comes in the wake of recent terrorist activities in parts of the district.

Local police have told Dawn that forms are distributed to people to have particulars of the non-locals working on their land or renting their property.

“We’re told to fill the form before returning it to the nearest police station without delay,” said a property owner of Topi.

Another local property owner said police had given him a form to collect the details of the people living in his houses on rent.

He said police also visited his hujra and asked him to furnish the required data at the earliest.

The officials said every police station would have to compile record of non-locals and that record would be kept by the district police for future use.

“Whenever there’s a need, the data will help us counter terrorism,” said a station house officer.

He said it was the first time that such a drive had been launched in Swabi and he was hopeful that it would be completed very soon.

The SHO said after the compilation of data, police would know about non-locals living in the district and about their computerised identity cards, permanent addresses and professions.

“If any property owner fails to produce the sought-after record, he/she will be dealt with strictly,” he said.

Police officials said Afghan displaced persons were not confined to major camps, including Gohati and Gandaf camps, and instead, they’re spread all over Swabi.

They said currently, police didn’t know about Afghan families living in the district.

A landowner said there were Afghans, who were born and grown up here but had never been to their motherland.

“Such Afghans are not interested at all to go back to their country,” he said.

The officials said people from different parts of the country, especially from restive tribal areas and Malakand division, had migrated to Swabi over the last few years.

They said most settlers had bought property and built houses after deciding to stay in the district permanently.

A property owner in Baja village said many displaced families from tribal areas lived in the fields with their male members earning their livelihood by working for local growers.

A senior local police official said the department wanted early compilation of the data of non-locals.

He said police should know about the non-locals living in the district to ensure the protection of public life and property.

“We will see who visits non-locals and stay with them. However, this will happen only if the local residents cooperate with us,” he said.