Afghan repatriations suspended after border security official injured at Torkham

PESHAWAR: Repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals was abruptly suspended on Friday after a border security official was injured in a late evening cross-border attack from the Afghan side on Thursday.

The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was reopened on Thursday for the return of stranded and illegal Afghan nationals, after having remained closed since February 26 with the launch of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.

However, security officials at Torkham said local paramilitary forces went on high alert due to the injury of an FC official at the Awal Khan post near the border. The incident took place around 9:30pm on Thursday evening.

Sources at Torkham and the Hamza Baba transit point said that although the entire staff of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Logistics Corporation (NLC), police and other government departments was present at the transit point and Torkham, they were directed to immediately stop the registration of undocumented Afghans.

They said that around 220 undocumented Afghans were registered on Thursday and later sent back to their country via the Torkham border.

Torkham security officials said today that the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation (IFR) facilitation had been stopped at Torkham, and border forces were placed on high alert, due to the deteriorating security situation at the border.

They said that IFR facilitation was not possible due to the “aggressive attitude and behaviour of the Afghan side”.

Earlier this month, it was decided that action under the Foreigners Act 1946 will be taken against illegal Afghan nationals for the implementation of the single visa regime. The decision was made at a meeting held to review law and order and security arrangements in the capital city.