BAJAUR: The authorities here on Thursday asked the Afghan refugees living in Bajaur tribal district to register themselves with the local police department within seven days to avoid any legal action.

The directive to the Afghan refugees has been issued by the district administration in an official notification released from the deputy commissioner’s office in Khar.

All Afghan refugees living in the jurisdiction of Bajaur tribal district are hereby directed to register themselves with the police department by submitting complete data of their families at the respective police stations within seven days, the statement said.

Moreover, the statement said the district administration had also asked the elders of the district to register all those people at respective police stations within 15 days who belonged to other districts and had been living with them.

It said the administration had taken the move in the light of reports that several proclaimed offenders and court absconders, who belonged to other districts, had taken refuge in different villages of Bajaur district.

The statement said all the elders/landlords in areas/villages where the said elements (proclaimed offenders and absconders) were living had been asked through official notices that they should strictly follow the instructions.

It said that legal action would be taken against those elders who failed to register the said people with the respective police stations within 15 days.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2022