The Punjab government has announced a cash-reward scheme encouraging citizens to report illegally residing Afghan nationals as part of an intensified crackdown under Pakistan’s nationwide deportation plan.
Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari said in a statement that the identity of informants would remain confidential under the whistleblower system.
According to the provincial authorities, 6,220 Afghan nationals have been deported from Punjab within the past three weeks, and the operation to repatriate undocumented migrants will continue in the coming weeks.
Azma Bukhari added that action had been taken against individuals who provided shelter to Afghan nationals without legal documentation.
Punjab’s measures form part of Pakistan’s broader “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan”, launched nationwide in October 2023.
Pakistan began mass deportations of undocumented Afghan nationals in late 2023, citing national security concerns and visa irregularities.
The policy has drawn widespread criticism from international rights groups, who warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis as thousands are forcibly returned to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Under Phase 1 of the plan, an estimated 1.3 million undocumented Afghans were targeted, and by early 2025, more than 813,300 people had been repatriated.
Phase 2, which began in April 2025, now targets Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and other undocumented individuals, a population of up to 1.6 million.
