MIANWALI, May 31 At least 46 Afghan living illegally were arrested in different parts of the districts after a crackdown on them on Saturday night.

The arrests were made by the district police in Chidroo, Moochh, Kundel, Kundian Kacha and Bangi Khel areas.

The police also claimed to have arrested proclaimed offender Qari Asmatullah, a criminal enlisted in Schedule-IV of the Home Department. Asmatullah was arrested in Bangi Khel while sources said that he had close links with Baitullah Mehsud.

At least 300,000 Afghan refugees have been living in Mianwali district since 1980. They were kept in two refugee camps set up at Dara Tang near Isakhel and at Kot-Chandna near Kalabagh. The former camp was later merged with Kot-Chandna camp which still has 17,700 registered Afghans.