Police on Tuesday said it had arrested six prayer leaders of various mosques in Laundkhwara area of Mardan district. The arrested khateebs belong to Afghanistan and were found without proper traveling and temporary residential documents. The police officers said all the men had been arrested under section 14 of Foreigners’ Act. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has already asked all illegally residing Afghan nationals in Peshawar to go voluntarily return to Afghanistan by May 25. After Peshawar, a similar deadline will be announced for repatriation of Afghan nationals living in other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The provincial government earlier announced conducting a detailed survey of mosques and madrassas, where a large number of Afghan nationals are either employed as prayer leaders or studying. After the completion of the survey, the government plans to make a final decision regarding the fate of all such Afghans. According to Mardan police, the arrested khateebs were identified as Ali Haidar, Fazl-e-Haq, Noor Mohammad, Ghulam Dastagir, Mohammad Ari and Taj Mohammad. Police said due to presence of these prayer leaders, action against militants proved a futile exercise, as authorities believe that almost all militants take shelter with these khateebs.
