Islamabad, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
More than 1.4 lakh Afghan nationals living illegally in Pakistan’s Punjab province have been deported to Afghanistan as part of an ongoing government campaign against undocumented foreign nationals, local media reported on Monday.
According to Dawn, the Foreign National Security Cell of Punjab’s Home Department is conducting the deportation drive. Afghan nationals found without valid documentation are being detained and moved to holding centres, where their paperwork is completed before they are sent back to Afghanistan.
A Punjab Home Department spokesperson said 140,468 Afghan nationals had been deported from the province so far. The official maintained that Afghan citizens cannot legally reside in Pakistan without a valid visa.
Authorities have been conducting checks in residential areas and markets to identify undocumented Afghan nationals. Those detained are being handed over to Afghan authorities at border crossings, including Torkham.
Pakistan has deported around 2.68 million Afghan nationals so far, according to the report.
The latest development comes amid growing international concern over the treatment of Afghan refugees returning from neighbouring countries. The UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration have repeatedly called for returns to be carried out safely and with dignity, while urging greater international support for returnees.
Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on Sunday that 307 Afghan families, comprising 1,537 people, had returned from Pakistan and Iran in a single day.
Of these, 235 families comprising 1,235 people crossed through Torkham, while 25 families comprising 141 people returned through Spin Boldak. Another 39 families, totalling 129 people, crossed through the Silk Bridge in Nimroz province, and eight families comprising 32 people returned through Islam Qala.
Fitrat said 310 families, comprising 1,964 people, had subsequently been relocated to different provinces. Financial assistance was provided to 294 families, while 261 SIM cards were distributed among returnees.
Amnesty International had on June 20 urged the international community to halt what it described as unlawful expulsions of Afghan refugees and ensure protection for those with international protection needs under international human rights law.
The rights group has warned that Afghan refugees face arbitrary detention and family separation in host countries, while returnees may encounter serious human rights concerns amid Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.
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