ISLAMABAD: As the deadline of October 31 set by the authorities for the deportation of Afghan nationals and other foreigners staying illegally in the country approaches, the government has tightened the noose around these illegal immigrants from Karachi to Khyber with the UN and IOM offering to register and manager such persons, officials said on Saturday.

In a major development, the federal government has directed the chief secretaries of all four provinces to compile complete data of Afghan nationals staying illegally in the country and submit it to the Ministry of Interior before the expiry of the deadline.

The secretaries have been asked to gather information about the total number of Afghans living in the country. Besides that, they have also been directed to ascertain how many of them have visas and PORs.

In this connection, all secretaries will chair meetings in their provinces and give assignments to their subordinates. On the other hand, Islamabad Police have completed geo-tagging of Afghan nationals living in different parts of the federal capital.

As many as 38 Afghan nationals were rounded up in a police operation in Blue Area on Saturday. Police said that all these persons did not have any documents with them. Sources told 24News that the police had also completed survey of the properties owned by these Afghans.

Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), authorities will collect the data of Afghans living in the province in collaboration with the FIA, NADRA, Special Branch and intelligence agencies.

Special teams will be constituted in all districts of the province which will carry out a targeted operation based on the lists provided to them. Action will also be taken against the officials who facilitated the issuance of computerized national identity cards (CNICs) to Afghan nationals try take place in a safe, dignified and voluntary manner.