Lahore, July 15: In a significant crackdown, police in Multan, Punjab, have arrested 13 Afghan doctors and one medical student, sending them to a deportation center. Local media reports indicate that these individuals have been waiting for nearly a year for their visa applications to be processed, yet they were detained nonetheless.
The detained doctors reported that they were apprehended at a government hospital in Multan and taken to a detention center in Attock, where they face imminent deportation to Afghanistan. According to Afghan news agency Khama Press, they had applied for new visas or extensions about a year ago, but Pakistani authorities have yet to make any decisions on their cases.
Among the arrested, five had applied for new entry visas, while the others sought extensions for their existing visas. They expressed frustration over the lack of official decisions on their immigration matters, despite multiple document checks by Pakistani police and security agencies over the past year.
The doctors voiced concerns that they might be sent back to Afghanistan before completing their medical training and expertise. They have appealed to both the Pakistani government and Afghan officials for intervention, requesting permission to remain in Pakistan until they finish their studies.
This action comes at a time when Pakistan is intensifying its campaign against illegal foreign residents, particularly Afghan nationals. In recent months, there has been a noticeable increase in detentions and deportations across the country.
Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 525 Afghan families have been repatriated as three refugee camps in Bannu district were completely cleared. Additional Deputy Commissioner Umar Khitab Khan stated that the phased return of Afghan refugees is being conducted per government directives. According to the Pakistani daily Dawn, these families were sent back to Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing.
The administration is now focusing on Afghan nationals residing in rented accommodations or private homes in Bannu and surrounding areas.
On June 28, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior issued an order mandating the immediate arrest of any Afghan citizen residing in the country without a valid visa, effective July 10.
Pakistan has intensified its deportation campaign, which began in 2023, following the cancellation of residence permits for millions of Afghan nationals last April, warning that failure to leave would result in arrest.
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