Around 800 Afghan nationals were detained from Islamabad and its surrounding areas during a recent search operation by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the intelligence agencies, it emerged on Sunday. 

The operation was carried out in Bihara Kahu, Tarnool, Mehrabadian, Golra, Shams Colony and other areas in the vicinity, reported Express News. 

As many as half of the 800 arrested were released after proof of residence was confirmed while at least 375 Afghan nationals remain in custody. 

Meanwhile, 25 of the 800 initially arrested were found to be awaiting document verification. 

The 375 Afghan national whose proof of residence could not be confirmed are likely to released at the border to return back to Afghanistan. 

Read CTD dismantles TTP sleeper cell in Swabi

According to Express News, several lists based on classified intel were compiled by the CTD and intelligence agencies and the operation is to be expidited in the coming days. 

The law enforcement authorities claim that several suspected criminals were identified in these lists made of Afghan nationals. 

Earlier this week, Islamabad decided to send back all “illegal” Afghan Refugees in a major policy decision amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that the caretaker federal cabinet, through a circulation summary, approved the decision to repatriate as many as 1.1 million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan illegally.

However, there was no official confirmation yet from the interim government. Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has yet to respond when approached for his comment.

The sources added that as many as 400,000 Afghans entered Pakistan illegally since the return of the Afghan Taliban to Afghanistan in August 2021, adding that there have been another 700,000 Afghans identified who have been living in the country illegally.

The cabinet gave authorities the go-ahead to make arrangements for sending all these Afghans back to their homeland.

Sources said these 1.1 million Afghan refugees neither possess any visa nor any valid documents allowing them to stay in the country. They also claimed that most of these illegal refugees were involved in anti-state and criminal activities, therefore, they would be sent back at the earliest.

Read more Kabul asked to purge terrorists of all shades

Sources further said the Afghan Taliban government was also informed about Pakistan’s decision.

Islamabad has hosted millions of refugees for decades and at one point five million Afghan refugees were residing in Pakistan. Some estimates suggested that there were still close to four million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. However, the count of individuals possessing valid refugee cards, as per official records, is considerably lower.

The crackdown against the illegal Afghan refugees came against the backdrop of simmering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Some observers believe that Pakistan’s stepped-up campaign against illegal Afghan refugees may be linked to the Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to launch a crackdown against the TTP.