220,000 Afghan visa holders missing, action begins against sponsors

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: More than 220,000 Afghan nationals who entered Pakistan on legally issued short term visas have become untraceable after the expiry of their permitted stay, prompting federal and provincial authorities, intelligence agencies, and police to launch an operation against the local individuals who sponsored their visas.

According to sources, the Afghan nationals arrived in Pakistan over the past several months on short term visas but could not be traced after their visas expired. Authorities have now initiated efforts to locate the individuals as well as investigate the Pakistani citizens who sponsored their visa applications.

Sources said visa records show that residents of Peshawar sponsored more than 28,500 Afghan nationals, while residents of Khyber district sponsored approximately 191,000. In addition, 49 Afghan nationals were sponsored by residents of Dera Ismail Khan, 1,196 by residents of Charsadda, and 1,113 by residents of North Waziristan.

During the verification process, intelligence agencies and police reportedly found that the addresses provided by more than 100,000 local sponsors were either incorrect or incomplete, complicating efforts to trace both the sponsors and the Afghan nationals.

Sources further stated that police have decided to seek assistance from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to obtain verified addresses and complete particulars of the local sponsors. Police have also requested access to the visa management system from the relevant visa authorities to verify visa records and monitor the status of issued visas.

No official statement has yet been issued by the relevant authorities regarding the reported operation.