LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Official figures show that 140,468 illegal Afghan nationals have so far been deported from Punjab as part of the ongoing repatriation campaign.

The number reflects the scale of an exercise that has continued across the province for an extended period, with district administrations and police running verification and holding operations before deportations are processed.

The campaign remains one of the more consequential and contested policy exercises under way in the country, with humanitarian organisations continuing to raise concerns about the treatment of those affected, and the government maintaining that the drive targets only those without legal status.

Punjab accounts for a substantial share of the national total, with Lahore, Rawalpindi and adjoining districts contributing heavily to the figures.