Police Detain 28 Illegal Afghan Nationals in Rawalpindi as Crackdown Continues
By Bilal Haider :
Police in Rawalpindi have detained 28 Afghan nationals in the past 24 hours as part of an ongoing operation against undocumented foreign residents in the district, officials said.
According to official sources, the latest arrests were made during joint operations conducted by local police and the Special Branch. Those detained were transferred to a holding facility in Dhoke Syedan, where undocumented Afghan nationals are kept before deportation.
Authorities said that since April 2025, a total of 5,790 Afghan nationals have been taken into custody in Rawalpindi and shifted to the holding centre. The detainees include 3,185 men, 1,116 women and 1,484 children.
Of these, 5,673 individuals — including 3,104 men, 1,104 women and 1,465 children — have been deported to Afghanistan after the deadline for voluntary return expired in August 2025.
Officials added that 724 people were released following verification processes and the resolution of legal issues.
At present, 98 Afghan nationals remain at the Dhoke Syedan holding centre, including 67 men, 12 women and 19 children.
Authorities have instructed law enforcement agencies to maintain detailed and consolidated records of all Afghan nationals returning to their country, whether voluntarily or through formal enforcement actions.
Police have also been directed to collect and verify relevant data, with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) tasked with ensuring the accuracy of the records before they are compiled at the appropriate administrative level. Officials say the process is intended to strengthen monitoring and assist in future policy-making related to migration management and law and order.
In a related development, officials from the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi, accompanied by police, sealed several shops within the jurisdiction of the City Circle after suspicions that the businesses were owned by Afghan nationals without legal documentation.
Meanwhile, police have intensified enforcement of the Tenancy Act across the district.
A police spokesperson said 20 cases were registered and 31 people arrested in the past 24 hours for violations of tenancy regulations, following directives from Rawalpindi City Police Officer Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani.
The spokesperson said daily search operations were being carried out across the city, while senior officers were reviewing tenant registration records to ensure compliance with the law.
Residents have been urged to register their tenants and employees with the nearest police station, through Police Khidmat Markaz centres, or via the Punjab Police mobile application.
Failure to register tenants is a punishable offence under the law, the spokesperson added, noting that verification certificates are also being collected from union councils, local officials and market representatives to support the process.
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