KOHAT: Police on Saturday arrested three Afghans allegedly involved in preparation of fake Afghan commissionerate cards for refugees who wanted to avoid deportation during the ongoing operation in the district.

Officials said that following a tip-off the city police raided a house in the old cattle market and arrested Taza Gul and Naseer along with identity cards, which were issued by the Afghan commissionerate to the legal refugees decades ago and required annual renewal.

They said that the suspects would use fake official stamps and paste photographs to prepare the `renewed`cards.

They said that police had seized the cards and other related material from the house.

The officials said that such cards were usually renewe d at the local Afghan administrator`s of fice.

They said that the original cards were given under the joint policy of the UNHCR and federal government when fierce battle was going on in Afghanistan.

The ofñcials quoted the suspects as telling the police during the preliminaryinterrogation thatthey were using the serial numbers from the commissionerate`s old record of the legal refugees because majority of illegal ones did not want to be repatriated.

Similarly, the city police arrested an Afghan national, identified as Dilawar Khan, during checking on Hangu road and recovered a fake ID card of Afghan commissnerate from his possession.

The Afghans, who were on the list of Afghan commissionerate for staying in the camps for last over a decade, would remain in the country according to the policy devised by the provincial government on the request of the UN and Afghan government.

The city police registered acase againstthe three suspects and have launched investigations.

Meanwhile, the operation is in progress to expel those living illegally in the bazaars and other areas of the city.

The residents of the refugee camps have been exempted from arrest, as they would get assistance and sent back under a proper plan.

According to the new policy, all Afghans living outside the camps were to be deported as they were staying illegally.