Pakistan Launches 2Nd Phase Of Expelling Afghans

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan embarked on the second phase of repatriating Afghan refugees on Thursday.

The new expulsion drive comes after the expiry of the March 31 deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave the country voluntarily.

But a senior official of the Afghan Commissionerate in Peshawar told Dawn the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had extended the deadline to April 2 in view of the Eidul Fitr festival.

“Now, phase 2 will begin from Thursday (today) and we have established camps, one each at Landi Kotal and Nasir Bagh Road,” he said.

However, the two-day reprieve spawned confusion among officials, with some indicating an extension in the deadline for repatriation.

The deadline has been extended until the beginning of next week due to Eid holidays, according to AFP while the Associated Press claimed arrests and deportations had been paused until April 10.

In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, law enforcement believed the deadline had been pushed back to April 10,

But an interior ministry official rejected the impression, insisting there had been no extension in the deadline.

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