PESHAWAR: Government is gathering data on Afghan migrants — including those legally resident in the country — ahead of a renewed eviction push slated to start after Eid, official sources told AFP on Tuesday.

More than half a million Afghans fled Pakistan last year after the former government ordered undocumented migrants to leave or face arrest, as Islamabad-Kabul relations soured over security.

Islamabad initially set a November 2023 deadline, however two officials, who asked to remain anonymous, said evictions would resume in the coming weeks.

“This time, instructions have been given to also collect data and conduct mapping of legally resident Afghan citizens,” said a top government official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan.

A senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police official said whilst “a final decision” has not yet been taken by the government, “police have sprung into action regarding Afghan citizens”.

“The federal government has directed to not only collect data of legal and illegal Afghan citizens but also to conduct their mapping,” he said.

Two officials, who asked not to be named, previously told AFP the renewed push to evict migrants will begin after Eid, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, set to be celebrated in April’s second week.

Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Islamabad has previously said the massive eviction scheme is justified by security concerns and its faltering economy.—AFP