QUETTA: As the nationwide operation to repatriate illegal immigrants gathered pace amid harassment allegations, the Islamabad police revealed on Saturday that 1,172 foreigners residing in the capital have so far been screened and 69 cases have been filed against 511 illegal aliens, who have also been presented before courts.

Besides, the documents of 19 potential foreigners with Pakistani papers had been sent to Nadra for verification, a spokesperson for Islamabad police said.

Geotagging of all resident foreigners had been completed and awareness messages were being disseminated among foreigners living on encroached government lands, the official said. Moreover, illegal immigrants had been instructed to voluntarily move to the allocated camps in the next 48 hours, the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, in Quetta, police conducted an operation targeting individuals residing in the city without the necessary resident documentation, arresting 128 foreigners, including illegal Afghan immigrants, on Saturday.

Balochistan govt dismisses allegations illegal Afghan migrants being mistreated

SSP (operations) Jawad Tariq confirmed the arrests and said that the operation against illegal residents was ongoing in Quetta.

“So far, 128 foreigners have been arrested,” he said, adding that FIRs had been registered against 38, and data on 30,000 individuals had been collected.

Separately, the caretaker government of Balochistan on Saturday rejected allegations that illegal Afghan immigrants were being subjected to mistreatment.

Denying the allegations levelled by the embassy and consulate of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai in a statement said police had not engaged in any form of harassment towards illegal Afghan immigrants.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2023