Former member of the National Assembly Mohsin Dawar, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, and Farhatullah Babar on Wednesday challenged the decision of Afghan refugees’ expulsion from Pakistan in the Supreme Court.

The petition was filed in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the constitution challenging the directive of the Apex Committee and the caretaker government regarding the deportation of Afghan refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants.

Pakistan set November 1 for the start of the expulsions, which could leave more than 1.7 million Afghans vulnerable in the South Asian nation, of a total of more than 4 million migrants and refugees from its neighbour.

The petitioners have made parties the federal and all provincial governments, the National Database and Registration Authority, and the foreign and interior ministries.

In the petition, they pleaded that those born in Pakistan should be given citizenship while saying that the expulsion of documented immigrants was against the law.

Read: Pakistan urged to identify, protect thousands of at-risk Afghans: sources

Authorities began arresting illegal refugees on Wednesday as the deadline for their voluntary return expired. The refugees were being shifted to holding centres established across the country.

The ministry of interior has allowed the arrest of illegal refugees after the expiry of the deadline, arrest of foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan has been allowed.

The Ministry of Interior has issued clear instructions to the concerned authorities in the form of a notification that every option including the arrest of such illegal resident foreigners should be used to implement the government’s decision.