Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed authorities to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals who rent out their properties to illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan citizens.
The directive was issued during the sixth consecutive meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on law and order in the province. The session also approved a comprehensive field survey across all districts to identify illegally residing foreigners.
Officials have been instructed to submit daily reports on properties including houses, shops, factories, hotels and petrol stations rented to foreign nationals. Patwaris, Numberdars and Station House Officers (SHOs) have been tasked with reporting any such cases.
Maryam Nawaz also ordered mosque announcements to help identify illegally residing Afghan citizens. The meeting resolved to take strict legal action against those living or working in Pakistan without valid visas, including those on expired visit visas.
During the briefing, it was revealed that five FIRs had already been registered in Khanewal against individuals who rented out property to illegal Afghan residents. Authorities were further directed to ensure similar enforcement across all districts.
The Chief Minister emphasized that any person found renting property to illegal immigrants would face strict action, while also instructing officials to ensure that no innocent individual is wrongly implicated.
Punjab has so far established 45 holding centres for Afghan nationals awaiting repatriation, providing them with temporary accommodation, food and transport to the Torkham border. Facial recognition technology is also being deployed to identify undocumented individuals.
The meeting further reviewed campaigns against illegal weapons, extremist propaganda on social media and the reopening of seminaries after necessary verification. Maryam Nawaz directed that accurate data on Afghan residents across Punjab be compiled and submitted promptly.
