Law enforcement agencies have arrested 246 pro-Taliban Afghans in the last two months, a senior interior ministry official told Daily Times on Monday. He said the arrests were made during the campaign launched against Taliban operatives and Afghans supporting the Taliban. So far Pakistan has handed over 57 pro-Taliban Afghans to the government of Afghanistan, he added.The countrywide campaign against the suspected Taliban supporters was launched in the backdrops of the intelligence agencies' reports that presence of pro-Taliban Afghans would cause serious security threats in Pakistan. The interior ministry had directed the provinces to monitor activities of Afghan refugees and to take prompt action against those involved in dubious activities. Following the directions, the provinces launched efforts to identify former operatives of the Taliban regime hiding in Pakistan disguised as refugees.
The official said the majority of pro-Taliban Afghans were those injured in clashes with security forces in Afghanistan. They entered Pakistan's province of Balochistan for medical treatment, but were arrested. Authorities concerned also warned private hospitals providing medical treatment to the injured Afghans. Hospitals were directed not to treat such people without seeing their medico-legal reports.