Pakistani authorities, amid an increased crackdown on the nationwide deportation of Afghan nationals in the country, demolished over 1,200 homes in a long-standing Afghan refugee settlements in the city of Karachi.

Targeting the metropolis' neighbourhoods of Gulshan-e-Maymar, and Manghopir, which for decades harboured thousands of Afghan refugees, police officials overseeing the five-day-long operation said the demolitions were a part of the government's policy to clear encroachments on state land and facilitate the repatriation of Afghans in the country.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Manghopir said that over 90% of the settlement's residents have already crossed back into Afghanistan, while another 800 to 1,000 people are expected to leave in the coming days, as per Pakistani media.

Many human rights groups have condemned Islamabad's actions, expressing concern over the pace of the demolitions, and harassment by border guards on the frontier, who barely give the displaced families any basic necessities for crossing over.

Activist groups have warned that the reckless pace of evictions is depriving many vulnerable families of shelter, food, and basic necessities.

The Afghan refugee camp spanned 215 acres and included more than 3,200 residential and commercial structures, and was cleaned out by teams from the Anti-Encroachment Force Zone One, Malir Development Authority (MDA), and District Police.

As per Karachi officials, the state-owned-land was valued in billions of PKR, and is the property of the MDA, which over the years had become an abode for encroachment by illegals, and criminal groups.