LANDIKOTAL
Assistant Commissioner Afrasiab Zubair held a jirga with Shinwari Khogakhel elders and said the government would act against Afghan citizens living and doing business in Landikotal after the deadline for their stay expired.officials said on Thursday.
Talking to Lead Pakistan assistant commissioner Afrasiab Zubair said that they had called a jirga of Khugakhel tribe elders where mostly Afghan citizens residing and doing business in their different maket places.
The official said they have informed the jirga about the state policy regarding Afghan refugees. He said a large number of Afghan traders running businesses in Landikotal and Torkham Bazaars, own expensive houses and residing in nearby villages in Landikotal that they must possess valid passports and visas and conduct their business through legal means.To a question he said that they were not yet directed to take action against those who possess Pakistan national identity cards and passports.
An official Naveed Alam Shalmani told said that total 3610 Afghan families have Afghan Citizen Card(ACC) cards while 62 families were residing with Proof of Registration(PoR) in Landikotal tehsil.
According to Malik Tajuddin Shinwari, who was the part of the jirga with assistant commissioner, that Afghan citizens holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) or Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must also obtain passports and visas. He said as per the government directives, legal action would be taken against violators after August 31 if they failed to comply.
Officials said roughly around 12000 Afghan families were residing in district khyber including in Kam Shalman, Loy Shalman and Bazaar Zakhakhel border villages with large number of areas declared.
