The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department has declared ‘Emergency’ in district Khyber, Peshawar and Nowshera to expedite the operational activities in the transit and staging points for repatriation of the illegal foreigners.
A notification issued here authorized Director General (DG) of PDMA and Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the three districts to mobilize all resources and engage necessary machinery and other equipment to establish and operate these transit and staging points for repatriation of illegal foreigners. It further said that the Finance department would release all the required funds for the purpose to PDMA for further release to the deputy commissioners for prudent and judicious expenditure.
It directed PDMA and DCs to properly maintain the inventory registers and accounts of all the expenditure, issuance of articles etc. as per formal government procedure for accountability. The KP relief, rehabilitation and settlement department has already announced a state of emergency in Peshawar, Khyber and Nowshera districts from November 1 to ensure the smooth repatriation of undocumented foreigners, according to officials.
Meanwhile, three undocumented Afghan families set out for Afghanistan from Bannu district on Wednesday. Bannu divisional commissioner Parvaiz Sabatkhel along with regional police officer Qasim Ali Khan and deputy commissioner Islahuddin visited the Sports Complex to see off those 35 foreigners. They garlanded men, distributed sweets to children and women, and sent them off in vehicles for Torkham border crossing.
On the occasion, Mr Sabatkhel said the local administration was providing “complete support” to Afghans for return to their country with respect and dignity. “Afghans spent a good time in Pakistan and their repatriation will be completed with happiness,” he said. The departing Afghan families said they loved Pakistan because they got “respect and regard.”
