The home ministry has decided to begin the second phase of illegal Afghan immigrants’ repatriation operation after Eidul Fitr, sources said on Monday.

The ministry has issued directives to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan governments regarding the decision.

The decision was taken during a video link meeting presided over by the federal home secretary where provincial secretaries of all four provinces along with high-ranking officials were also present.

The federal government will share the lists of all Afghan citizen cardholders with the police and law enforcement agencies of all provinces.

Sources in the home ministry said that phase three of the repatriation drive will see the deportation of all Proof of Registration Card holders.

The meeting was told that as many as 500,000 illegal foreign nationals have been deported since the crackdown against such individuals.

Read: Court halts eviction of Afghan nationals married to Pakistanis

Pakistan launched a nationwide crackdown against illegal immigrants soon after the deadline of November 1, 2023, for them to leave the country voluntarily.

The authorities opened border centres to speed up the return of tens of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals.

Pakistan brushed off calls from the United Nations, rights groups and Western embassies to think about expelling more than a million of 4 million Afghans in the country, saying they had been involved in militant attacks and crimes that undermined the security of the country.

Afghanistan denies the accusations, saying Pakistani security is a domestic problem and calling on Pakistan to reconsider.