525 families repatriated as 3 Afghan refugee camps completely vacated in KP's Bannu
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PESHAWAR: Three Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district have been completely vacated, with the successful repatriation of 525 families to Afghanistan, it emerged on Tuesday.
Speaking to Dawn, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Umar Khittab Khan said that the phased repatriation of all Afghan refugees was being carried out in line with the directives of the KP government — whether they resided in refugee camps, urban areas, or villages.
He said that under this policy, all 525 families living in the refugee camps at Bizan Khel, Ghoriwala, and Mamand Khel were repatriated to Afghanistan.
According to the ADC, the families were repatriated through the Torkham border crossing, with the government providing transportation and other necessary facilities to facilitate the repatriation process.
He added that the administration was now focusing on Afghan nationals living in rented houses or private residences across the city of Bannu and its surrounding villages.
He said that their records have been shared with the respective police stations, and, in accordance with government directives, efforts were underway to ensure their early repatriation.
The ADC further said that Afghan families willing to return voluntarily may stay at the temporary transit centres established by the district administration. From there, transportation will be arranged to take them to the Torkham border for their return to Afghanistan.
The repatriation of Afghan families via the Torkham border has gained momentum, with the federal government ordering the arrest and deportation of those living in the country without valid visas.
Officials at the Hamza Baba transit point in Landi Kotal said earlier this week that the numbers exceeded the 10,000 figure on a daily basis since Pakistan recently ordered all Afghan nationals on its soil to go back to their country until July 10.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concerns about the “forced” repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.
