RAWALPINDI: Police operations against illegal Afghan nationals continued across the Rawalpindi district and 28 people were detained in the last 24 hours.

Sources said 5,790 illegal Afghan residents have so far been taken into custody and transferred to the holding centre at Dhoke Syedan. Moreover, 5,673 illegal Afghans have been deported since the deadline for voluntary return expired in August 2025.

According to sources, 28 illegal Afghan nationals were rounded up jointly by police and the Special Branch in the last 48 hours and shifted to the holding centre. At present, 98 Afghan nationals - 67 male, 12 female and 19 children - are being held in the centre.

As many as 5,790 Afghan nationals, including 3,185 male, 1,116 female and 1484 children, have been rounded up and shifted to the holding centre since April 2025. Of these, 5,673, including 3,104 male, 1,104 female and 1,465 children, have been deported to Afghanistan.

According to sources, 724 people were released after verifications and other legal issues.

The law enforcement agencies have been directed to maintain accurate, comprehensive and consolidated records of all repatriated Afghan nationals regardless of whether their return was voluntary or carried out through formal enforcement actions.

The police have been directed that the relevant data be collected, verified for accuracy by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and consolidated at the appropriate level.

This would ensure effective monitoring and provide a dependable basis for informed decision making and future policy formation in matters relating to migration management and law and order planning.

In a related move, Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi officials accompanied by police sealed several shops within the jurisdiction of City circle on suspicion that they were owned by Afghan nationals.

Violation of Tenancy Act

Police also registered 20 cases and arrested 31 people for violating the Tenancy Act during the last 24 hours.

A police spokesman said that a full-scale crackdown was underway against those violating the Tenancy Act on the instructions of CPO Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani.

He said that 20 cases had been registered and 31 people detained for violating the Tenancy Act within 24 hours.

He added that search operations were underway across the city on a daily basis for the implementation of the Tenancy Act as the tenant registration reports were being checked by senior officers on a daily basis.

He said citizens should register their tenants and employees with the relevant police station, through the Police Khidmat Markaz or Punjab police mobile app.

He said failure to register tenants was a punishable offence. The police are also taking verification certificates from all union councils and area officials, chairmen, councilors and market presidents.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2026