ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will arrest any deported Afghan national who attempts to re-enter the country illegally, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Monday, as authorities expand a sweeping campaign against undocumented migrants.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said 1.1 million Afghans have been deported since the crackdown began, including 400,000 sent back through the Torkham crossing by April 2025.
Naqvi asserted that “all the attacks that have taken place at different places in Pakistan” involved Afghan nationals. He said police will begin fresh operations next week to identify and remove Afghans residing in the country without legal status.
“Whatever data is available, we have to collect it at the SHO level and send the Afghans back,” he said, adding that those departing voluntarily “should go back with dignity.” He warned that Pakistan’s improving economic gains “cannot withstand more suicide bombings.”
Visa and travel fraud concerns
Naqvi said 50 to 60 passengers are removed daily from airports due to incomplete or fraudulent travel documents, blaming “agent mafias” for facilitating improper travel. He cited cases including a man holding a driver’s visa despite never having driven, and a student whose passport showed an Iranian entry stamp despite never traveling there.
He stressed that travelers carrying legitimate visas “will face no problems.”
Crackdown on social media misinformation
The interior minister announced a major campaign targeting online misinformation, saying the Information Ministry and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency would act “on a massive scale.” He claimed 90% of recent online news was false.
“If you have evidence, then speak on the basis of it,” he said. “There is no exemption for those who spread false news… Do not spread fake news under the guise of freedom of expression.”
He added that individuals abroad spreading false narratives about Pakistan’s military leadership “will be held accountable.”
Delay in defense leadership notification
Naqvi also addressed questions about delays in issuing the notification for the newly created chief of defense forces position, attributing it to constitutional requirements.
“It’s not that you press a button and it will become part of the Constitution,” he said.
