Following muddied diplomatic relations and mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan, citizens are facing severe hardships and complications upon visits to each other’s country. The Afghan nationals, like Indians, are now bound to report to police special branch in Peshawar upon their arrival in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or when crossing over the Pak-Afghan border with a visa and other valid documents. On the other hand, Pakistanis are also bound to report their whereabouts, employment status and stay details to a nearby police station in Kabul or any other main city or town across the war-ravaged country.
The procedure of reporting to police or intelligence agencies was introduced in the wake of deteriorating relations between the two neighbouring countries. However, Pakistan was the first to introduce restrictions on Afghan nationals. A senior government official told Pakistan Today that the restrictions were not new rather they had been introduced around six months ago. He confirmed that Afghan nationals were bound to inform police special branch within 24 hours of their arriving in Pakistan, otherwise they could be detained. “After detention, proper cases are being registered against them and later they are being deported,” the official said.
The Afghan government has imposed similar restrictions on Pakistani nationals. Despite the deteriorating relations, nationals from both Pakistan and Afghanistan are visiting each other’s countries. According to estimates, over 100,000 families from both Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered into relations with each other in the last three decades.
Whereas thousands of Pakistani nationals are crossing over to Afghanistan for economic activities like labour and other skilled and unskilled work.
Due to a lack of proper hospitals and healthcare facilities, almost all major private and government hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are brimming with Afghan nationals. Unfortunately, the mistrust between law enforcement, secret agencies and other government functionaries of the two countries has only created hardships for citizens pf both countries.
The restrictions of “reporting to police” are not only wastage of time for the visitors, but are worsening already tense relations between the two countries.
The problem with this system is that due to some ignorant politicians and government agencies, it is the public of the both countries that suffer. I still remember that Afghans were detained in Peshawar and then put in central jail in the same cell with killers and muggers for months without anyone telling what they did wrong. Even the Pakistani embassy in Kabul did not inform the Afghans about the police registration neither anything was written in their visas. However, Indian Embassy clearly stamps on Afghan passports mentioning the police registration. I personally lived in Pakistan for more than ten years yet while crossing the Torkham border or Pehsawar airport, almost every time either a Pakistani policeman, Militia or Army officer took money from me by force, calling it (SHEEREENI) i.e. the entry sweet treat, such a shame. Yet I still consider both countries as my homes and pray that somehow the leaders and the government agencies stop back stabbing and let the public of both countries live peacefully.
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