RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi police have detained 76 illegal Afghan nationals residing in various parts of the city, while 21 cases were registered against those failing to provide tenancy details, officials said. The operation was carried out under the directives of City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani.
During the search operations, police teams checked 1,375 houses, 412 shops, 28 hotels, four junkyards, and three bus/truck stands, covering a total of more than 1,709 people. Officers from the Counter Terrorism Department, Security Branch, and Special Branch assisted in the raids.
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The searches spanned multiple areas, including Kallar Syedan, Rawat, Gujar Khan, Chountra, Kahuta, Saddar Beruni, Pirwadhai, City, and Cantt, among others. Officials said the crackdown aims to maintain law and order and curb crime, following government orders to address illegal Afghan residents.
A special task force has been established, with 13 police units tasked to apprehend and transport illegal Afghan nationals to holding centres daily, excluding those holding valid visas. The crackdown intensified after a suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and injured 35, prompting heightened security in Rawalpindi.
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Extra personnel have also been deployed at Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, district and ATC courts, and other government buildings, with strict entry checks and body searches to ensure public safety.