Pakistan has deported more than 2.6 million Afghan nationals, including women and children, in the last three years, an official said on Monday.These deportations were part of a larger crackdown on undocumented Afghan nationals and those overstaying in the country without a valid visa.The Punjab government routinely conducts surveys to identify illegal or undocumented immigrants.The spokesperson for the Punjab home department’s foreign national security said in a statement that the provincial government alone detained 1,38,342 Afghans in its holding centres, completed their documents and deported them.He added that around 2.6 million Afghan nationals staying illegally in Pakistan have been sent back in the last three years.The deportations are usually carried out through the Torkham checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.The crackdown has led to anxiety in the Afghan community, with some residents claiming they have lived in Pakistan for generations.Local Pashtuns have also reported being subjected to undue harassment and identity checks during police raids.The UN Human Rights Commission has also expressed concerns about the scale and nature of these deportations.The authorities intensified the crackdown against illegal Afghan immigrants after an armed conflict between the two countries in April. Both countries witnessed intermittent hostilities along the frontier, which intensified after reported Afghan action in response to Pakistani airstrikes targeting militant positions.