October 11, 2008	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1429

TAXILA, Oct 10: The Afghan displaced persons and migrants living in various localities of Taxila and Wah without valid documents have been given seven days to leave the city otherwise action would be taken against them.

Sources said law-enforcement agencies have made all-out arrangements for launching a crackdown on the Afghan nationals living in the garrison cities of Taxila and Wah Cantt without valid documents. Sources in the local administration told this correspondent that a large number of Afghan nationals were living illegally in the localities of Pind Gondal, Asifabad, Nawababad, Khanabad, Gari Afghanan, Lub Thatoo, Budhoo, Muneerabad and Jameelabad.

There are more than 10 residential areas of Afghan nationals in the city.

The police and other law-enforcement agencies have evidence that these Afghan nationals mostly living in slums and rented houses are involved in illegal activities and crimes especially theft, robberies and drug trafficking.

Sources said after the twin suicide blasts at Pakistan Ordnance Factories in Wah on August 21, the local administration had decided to launch the crackdown on the Afghan nationals.

“There is an agreement between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan that no Afghan national will be arrested in Pakistan for overstaying and if they are arrested they should be handed over to the Afghan government,” the sources added.

It has also learnt that in the past Punjab home department had asked the police authorities to launch a crackdown on illegal Afghan residents but it was not carried out due to political reasons. Four ‘robbers’ arrested: The Wah Cantonment police have arrested four robbers allegedly involved in different crimes and recovered the looted items from them.

According to the police, a police party raided a secret hideout of dacoits at Asifabad locality and arrested the robbers.