KHYBER: The district administration has suspended issuance of more tokens to increasing number of returning Afghans at Hamza Baba transit point in Landi Kotal.

A statement, issued from Khyber House, advised the returning Afghan families and individuals to wait till clearance of the existing backlog of already assembled Afghans at the transit point.

It said that no new token for entry into the transit point would be issued till all the token bearers were verified and registered at Nadra points inside the transit centre. The administration advised the returning Afghans to wait for at least four days in approaching the transit point to avoid undue rush and inconvenience to them.

The statement said that token distribution would be resumed once all the waiting Afghans were cleared by verification desks.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsud paid a visit to Hamza Baba transit point on Monday as a follow-up of Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi to the same venue three days ago.

He directed relevant officials to immediately increase the number of registration desks from 20 to 40 and specify separate desks for women. He directed the transit point staff to extend working hours till 11pm on daily basis to facilitate maximum numbers of Afghans to return to their country.

The commissioner also ordered the centre staff to establish additional washrooms and bathrooms owing to the rapid increase in the number of returning Afghan nationals.

He directed officials concerned to ensure honourable and dignified return of afghans, insisting that no corrupt practices and illegal activities in the working of transit point would be tolerated.

Meanwhile, police in Landi Kotal said that they apprehended two young boys at the transit point who were trying to cross over to Afghanistan while impersonating as Afghan nationals.

Police said that both the local boys were later handed over to their family members after their identification.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2026