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[VIDEO] Ibrahim Zadran dedicates his Man of the Match award to Afghan refugees who have been deported from Pakistan

Settled Afghans forced to flee Pakistan

Pakistan says deportation order meant to protect country’s ‘welfare and security’, but Afghan embassy decries move as ‘harassment’.
Pakistan has ordered 1.7 million Afghans it says are living in the country irregularly to leave by November 1 or be deported.

A series of holding centres are being established across the country in preparation for the deadline on Wednesday, in what rights groups and lawyers say is an unprecedented crackdown.

Millions of Afghans have crossed the border during decades of conflict, making Pakistan the host of one of the world’s largest refugee populations.

But relations have steadily soured between the two neighbours since the Taliban government seized power in August 2021.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans are estimated to have crossed the border since then.

Pakistan has said the deportations are to protect the “welfare and security” of the country, where anti-Afghan sentiment has been growing amid prolonged economic hardship and a rise in cross-border fighting.

Source: Al Jazeera

www.aljazeera.com

Photos: Settled Afghans forced to flee Pakistan

Pakistan says deportations are to protect ‘welfare and security’, but Afghan embassy decries move as ‘harassment’.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
So the PM of Pakistan has said that had Pakistan won the game, than Pakistan should had dedicated the MOTM to the security forces that are throwing the refugees out.

Our PM is now stooping to such levels
 
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Large numbers of Afghans crammed into trucks and buses in Pakistan on Tuesday, heading to the border to return home hours before the expiration of a Pakistani government deadline for those who are in the country illegally to leave or face deportation.

The deadline is part of a new anti-migrant crackdown that targets all undocumented or unregistered foreigners, according to Islamabad. But it mostly affects Afghans, who make up the bulk of migrants in Pakistan.

The expulsion campaign has drawn widespread criticism from U.N. agencies, rights groups and the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials warn that people who are in the country illegally face arrest and deportation after Oct. 31. U.N. agencies say there are more than 2 million undocumented Afghans in Pakistan, at least 600,000 of whom fled after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Although the government insists it isn't targeting Afghans, the campaign comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban rulers next door. Islamabad accuses Kabul of turning a blind eye to Taliban-allied militants who find shelter in Afghanistan, from where they go back and forth across the two countries’ shared 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border to stage attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban deny the accusations.

“My father came to Pakistan 40 years ago," said 52-year-old Mohammad Amin, speaking in Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

“He died here. My mother also died here and their graves are in Pakistan," said Amin, originally from Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province. "We are going back today as we never tried to register ourselves as refugees with the U.N. refugee agency.”

“I am going back with good memories," he told The Associated Press, adding taht he would head to the Torkham border crossing later Tuesday.

Nasrullah Khan, 62, said he'd heard the Taliban are considering helping Afghans on their return from Pakistan. He said he was not worried by the prospect of Taliban rule but that it was still "better to go back to Afghanistan instead of getting arrested here.”

More than 200,000 Afghans have returned home since the crackdown was launched, according to Pakistani officials. U.N. agencies have reported a sharp increase in Afghans leaving Pakistan ahead of the deadline.

Pakistan has insisted the deportations would be carried out in a “phased and orderly” manner.

Afghanistan is going through a severe humanitarian crisis, particularly for women and girls, who are banned by the Taliban from getting an education beyond the sixth grade, most public spaces and jobs. There are also restrictions on media, activists, and civil society organizations.

Jan Achakzai, a government spokesman in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, said on Tuesday that anyone who is detained under the new policy will be well treated and receive transport to the Chaman border crossing point.

Source: The Independent
 
Pakistan is set to begin its push to force out 1.7 million migrants - many of them Afghans who fled the Taliban - despite criticism from human rights groups.

Thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan rushed to the border in trucks and buses ahead of the government's Wednesday deadline for undocumented or unregistered foreign nationals to leave the country.

The anti-migrant policy was announced last month by Pakistan's caretaker government, which has threatened to round-up, detain and deport those who do not leave voluntarily.

Islamabad has blamed Afghan migrants for a rise in armed attacks, mainly in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan.

The government has also accused Kabul of turning a blind eye to Taliban-allied militants who find shelter in Afghanistan, from where they go back and forth across the two countries' shared 1,600-mile border to stage attacks in Pakistan - an accusation the Taliban have denied.

However, the move to expel migrants has been strongly criticised by UN agencies and human rights groups, as well as the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan.

The government says more than four million foreign nationals live in Pakistan - the vast majority of them Afghans who sought refuge over the last four decades.

Of those, as many as 600,000 to 800,000 migrated in or after the Taliban regained power in 2021, according to Pakistan's interior ministry.

It claims there are around 1.7 million undocumented migrants in Pakistan - and all have been told to leave the country by 1 November.

The operation would be "lengthy and gradual", Sarfraz Bugti, Pakistan's caretaker interior minister, said in a video statement released on Tuesday. He gave no further detail on the time frame.

Mr Bugti denied refugees were being deported and said: "Only those who are completely illegal will leave Pakistan."

However, the UN refugee agency in Pakistan urged the government to protect those at risk from persecution.

"We are asking the government to come up with a comprehensive system and... mechanism to manage and register people at immediate risk of persecution if forced to return," Qaiser Khan Afridi, a spokesperson for the agency, told Reuters news agency.

"They cannot return, they can't go back to Afghanistan because their freedom or their life might be at risk."

More than 200,000 Afghans have returned home since the policy was announced, according to Pakistan's government, while the Taliban say around 60,000 Afghan nationals have crossed the border.

More have headed there today ahead of the deadline, among them Mohammad Amin, who said his father came to Pakistan 40 years ago.

"He died here. My mother also died here and their graves are in Pakistan," said Mr Amin, originally from Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province.

"We are going back today as we never tried to register ourselves as refugees with the UN refugee agency," the 52-year-old said.

Another Afghan national who was born in Pakistan and married a Pakistani woman and raised his Pakistan-born children in Karachi, but has no Pakistani documents, said he and his family are also heading across the border.

"We'd live here our whole life if they didn't send us back," said the 35-year-old.

Source: Sky News
 
There is nothing wrong in deporting illegals. All countries should do it.

So, good move from Pakistan.

Not sure why Zadran was mad.
 
As the deadline for the ‘voluntary repatriation’ of illegally-residing Afghan nationals ends on Thursday, the police along with other law enforcement agencies kicked off a crackdown in various parts of Attock to detain foreigners residing illegally.

Over 100 Afghan migrants were rounded up from various parts of the district and shifted to “holding centres” on Wednesday, while as many as 12 illegal Afghan migrants were booked under the Foreign Act.

Talking to newsmen, Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza has said that the entire Afghan nationals living in the district would go under security at these holding centres.

He said that NADRA and FIA have established their cell at these centres for verification and identification of these immigrants. He added that only those who are completely illegal would be deported.

He said that as per the policy of the government foreign nationals without identity documents in “holding centres” before deporting them.

According to sources in the administration, they have carried out scanning and mapping in various localities, adding that teams of the relevant departments were working in various localities of the district, especially rural areas for possible swoop against the Afghan illegal immigrants.

Source: Dunya News
 
Afghan Chargé d’affaires Ahmed Shakeeb met caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Thursday as deportations of undocumented Afghan immigrants continue.

The two discussed the return of Afghan refugees and the arrangements made for their crossing.

Bugti said that the return of refugees would continue as planned and authorities have been told to behave respectfully towards the returning refugees.

He also said that no action was being taken against Afghans who possessed Proof of Residence and Afghan Citizen Cards.

Bugti added that women and children would be exempted from biometric verification at the crossing points.

He added that a helpline and control centres have been created to make sure things go ahead smoothly and no negligence and misbehavior would be tolerated.

Source: AAJ News
 

Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing overwhelmed as Afghans face expulsion​

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -Pakistan's northwestern border crossing was flooded with thousands of people looking to cross into Afghanistan on Thursday, a day after the government's deadline expired for undocumented foreigners to leave or face expulsion.

Pakistani authorities had begun rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, hours before Wednesday's deadline. More than a million Afghans could have to leave or face arrest and forcible expulsion as a result of the ultimatum delivered by the Pakistan government a month ago.

Scrambling to cope with the sudden influx, the Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan said temporary transit camps had been set up, and food and medical assistance would be provided, but relief agencies reported dire conditions across the border.

"The organisations' teams stationed in the areas where people are returning from Pakistan have reported chaotic and desperate scenes among those who have returned," the Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, and the International Rescue Committee said in a joint statement.

The Pakistan government has brushed off calls from the United Nations, rights groups and Western embassies to reconsider its expulsion plan, saying Afghans had been involved in militant attacks and crime that undermined the security of the country.

BORDER BOTTLENECK

More than 24,000 Afghans crossed into Afghanistan using the Torkham border crossing on Wednesday alone, Deputy Commissioner Khyber Tribal District Abdul Nasir Khan told Reuters.

Pakistan authorities have barred media access to the Torkham border crossing since Tuesday.

"There were a large number waiting for clearance and we made extra arrangements to better facilitate the clearance process," Khan said.

Authorities had worked well into the night at a camp set up near the crossing, he added. The border, at the northwestern end of the Khyber Pass on the road between Peshawar in Pakistan and Jalalabad in Afghanistan, is usually closed by sundown.

Khan said 128,000 Afghans have left for through the border crossing since the Pakistan government issued its directive.

More were crossing through border at Chaman, in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.

Major roads leading to border crossings were jammed with trucks carrying families and whatever belongings they could carry.

The aid agencies estimated the number of arrivals at Torkham "had gone up from 300 people a day to 9,000 to 10,000 people daily since Pakistan's announcement."

Some Afghans who have been ordered to leave have spent decades in Pakistan, while some have never been to Afghanistan, and wondering how they can start a new life there.

Of the more than 4 million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7 million are undocumented.

Many fled during the decades of conflict that Afghanistan suffered since the late 1970s, while the Taliban takeover after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 led to another exodus.

Aid agencies warned that the mass movement of people could tip Afghanistan into yet another crisis and expressed "grave concerns" about the survival and reintegration of the returnees, particularly with the onset of winter.

International humanitarian funding for the county dried up after the Taliban took over and imposed restrictions on women.

 
Govt exempts Afghan children, women from verification

PESHAWAR/QUETTA: As border managers buckle under the influx of Afghan refugees being sent back to Afghanistan, the federal government on Thursday eased one condition to facilitate the undocumented immigrants, particularly women and children, who are now exempted from data entry at the Nadra counters set up at the border crossings.

So far, 148,267 Afghan immigrants have left for Afghanistan during voluntary repatriation. On Thursday, a total of 19,344 undocumented immigrants left via Torkham.

The decision was taken a day after the officials feared the situation could go out of control after the influx at the Torkham border overwhelmed the border management facilities and the authorities struggled to process the deportation of immigrants.

“The interior ministry issued directions that female and children below the age of 14 will not be scanned for entry by Nadra. Only male adults would be scanned during the voluntary repatriation,” a senior official told Dawn.

The official added the federal government ordered to maintain only a ‘head count’ of Afghan women and children going to Afghanistan.

With the fresh directions exempting women and children, the border management authorities overcame the situation ending the backlog, officials said.

They added that even the number of illegal immigrants at the border was slightly lower on the second day of the expiry of the deadline for voluntary repatriation as compared to Wednesday.

Apart from Torkham, officials at the border crossing in Angoor Adda in KP’s South Waziristan district said that 294 Afghan immigrants, including 129 children, voluntarily left for Afghanistan on Thursday.

In Quetta, the police took at least 572 refugees into custody and shifted them to the holding centres.

However, 200 were sent back after they produced valid documents, caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai told Dawn on Thursday.

About 384 people who did not have valid documents were sent to Chaman for deportation, he said, adding that a portal had been established in which immigrants could register their complaints in case of any issues.

According to the deputy commissioner of Quetta, Saad bin Asad, at least 1,176 Afghan people volunteered a day earlier to reach the Chaman border on their own.

DAWN​
 
Amid Pakistan's ongoing drive to deport illegal immigrants, including Afghan nationals, a purported audio clip has emerged, where the Acting Defense Minister of the Taliban government, Mullah Muhammad Yaqub Mujahid, has issued a stern warning to Pakistan, urging them to consider the consequences of their deportation efforts before taking “unilateral actions”.

In the audio clip, Mujahid called on the Pakistani authorities not to mistreat Afghan nationals and accused them of seizing the personal property and assets of Afghan citizens. He emphasized that such actions would be questioned and that the Taliban would use all their resources to prevent it, vowing not to allow anyone to confiscate the personal property of Afghan refugees, Tolo News reported.

Furthermore, Mullah Mujahid urged the international community, the United Nations, and other organisations to exert pressure on Pakistan to bring an end to the current situation concerning the refugees. He criticised Pakistan for not ensuring that Afghan refugees are sent back to their homeland with the dignity they deserve.

"Even though it sends the refugees to their country, they [refugees] should be sent to the country with dignity and return to their homeland," he stated. The Afghan minister expressed concerns that the ongoing situation was severely damaging the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“So, the Pakistani regime should think of the consequences of whatever it is doing. It should plant as much as it will be able to reap,” he asserted.

Pakistan's northwestern border crossing has been flooded with thousands of people looking to cross into Afghanistan after the government’s deadline expired for undocumented foreigners to leave or face expulsion on November 1.

Pakistani authorities had begun rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, hours before Wednesday's deadline. More than a million Afghans could have to leave or face arrest and forcible expulsion as a result of the ultimatum delivered by the Pakistan government a month ago.

Scrambling to cope with the sudden influx, the Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan said temporary transit camps had been set up, and food and medical assistance would be provided, but relief agencies reported dire conditions across the border.

Source: Express Tribune
 

Pakistan sets one-year timeline to repatriate undocumented Afghans​

Pakistan expects that the process to repatriate an estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghans will complete in a year as the government is in no mood to review its decision.

Since the expiry of the deadline for all such illegal migrants, authorities have stepped up their drive to deport undocumented Afghans. The number of Afghans so far have left the country is over two hundred thousand.

A senior government official explained that the policy to evict all illegal migrants irrespective of their nationality was in the making for over a year.

“It was wrong to link the current decision with the TTP or its relationship with the Afghan government,” the official insisted, dispelling the impression that Pakistan was using this as a leverage to put pressure on Kabul.

Pakistan believes that at least those who don’t have legal documents must return to their homeland.

The official clarified that those Afghans with a proof of residence and with Afghan citizenship card need not to worry. “But how can we allow anyone who doesn't have any identity,” the official asked.

The official was of the view that Pakistan had a one-year timeline in its mind to complete the process of repatriation of all undocumented Afghans.

The UN and other human rights organisations have raised concerns over Pakistan’s policy. The Kabul government too criticised Islamabad, demanding it must stop “harassing” its nationals.

However, the official strongly rejected the allegations of mistreatment, saying Pakistan exempted women and children from biometric requirements for their repatriation.

The official further said that authorities were directed to treat all those returning Afghans with “honour and dignity.”

About the issue of Afghan nationals, who are eligible for resettlement in the US, the official said Pakistan was ready to facilitate friendly countries.

However, he lamented that Pakistan was shared the list of such Afghans on the last day of the deadline.

Pakistan as a goodwill gesture on the request of US and other western countries agreed to allow certain Afghan nationals to stay in Pakistan before their settlement in other countries.

tribune.com.pk

Pakistan sets 1 year timeline to repatriate undocumented Afghans | The Express Tribune

Govt dispels impression that it was using 'deportation drive' to put pressure on Kabul to act against TTP
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Afghanistan captain showed his supports with the struggling refugees after winning their match against Netherlands.

 
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Govt stops Afghans’ arrest seeking US relocation

The government has ordered authorities not to arrest Afghans who are waiting to be relocated to the United States, as it wages a crackdown on illegal migration.

More than 180,000 people have returned to Afghanistan since Islamabad ordered 1.7 million Afghans it says are living illegally in Pakistan to leave or face deportation, border officials have said.

Human Rights Watch has previously warned that Afghans awaiting resettlement to the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada after fleeing the Taliban government are at risk of deportation after their Pakistan visas expired.

Several Western nations are still in the process of resettling Afghan refugees two years on from the Taliban takeover, forcing many families to wait in limbo for months in Pakistan.

"As per the Embassy of America, 1,150 Afghan nationals are being sponsored for relocation and resettlement to (the) United States," said the letter from the Interior Ministry, dated November 2 and seen by AFP.

"It is requested that it may be ensured that the Afghan nationals who are mentioned in the subject list, are not arrested till further notice."


tribune.com.pk

Govt stops Afghans’ arrest seeking US relocation | The Express Tribune

Interior ministry issues letter after HRW cited risks in deportation
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
JI calls for joint body to send back Afghans PESHAWAR:

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday said the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should form a joint commission for the “dignified” return of Afghan refugees to their homeland and chalk out a strategy agreed upon by both sides for this purpose.

“Pakistan has been hosting the Afghans for several years. Expelling them on an emergency basis will boost the morale of the common enemies of both the countries, giving them an opportunity to spread propaganda and conspiracies,” Siraj told the media at the JI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial headquarters in Peshawar.

The JI chief cautioned that the manner in which a crackdown had been launched against Afghans residing in Pakistan without any preparation would increase the lack of trust between the two countries.

“This issue should be resolved in consultation with the Afghan government,” he advised to the Pakistani authorities.

Siraj maintained that currently there was a stable and strong government in Afghanistan.

He added that the neighbouring country’s peace and economic conditions were also improving. “Therefore, any Afghan citizen residing in Pakistan who voluntarily wants to return to his country should be welcomed,” he continued.

However, he observed that forcing them out of Pakistan was inappropriate.

The JI chief said the Pakistani government should assess the situation related to Afghan refugees as well as those without legal documents and adopt a respectful strategy to address the issue.

He claimed that that the situation resulting from the government's “flawed” strategy to evict “illegal foreigners” was deplorable.

Siraj maintained that the tales of caravans of Afghans returning to their homeland were “terrifying”. He added that Afghan women and children had been staying in vehicles from Karkhano Market to Torkham border without food as well as other necessities of life for many days.

“This is against the basic principles of humanity,” he regretted.

Siraj was accompanied by former provincial minister and JI K-P deputy chief Inayatullah Khan as well as provincial Information secretary Syed Jamaat Ali Shah on the occasion.

Pakistan expects that the process to repatriate an estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghans will complete in a year as the government is in no mood to review its decision.

After the expiry of the deadline for all such illegal migrants on November 1, authorities have stepped up their drive to deport undocumented Afghans.

The number of Afghans who have left the country so far is more than 200,000.

Scrambling to cope with the sudden influx, the Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan said temporary transit camps had been set up, and food and medical assistance would be provided, but relief agencies reported dire conditions across the border.

The UN and other human rights organisations have raised concerns over Pakistan’s policy. The Kabul government too criticised Islamabad, demanding that it must stop “harassing” its nationals.
tribune.com.pk

JI calls for joint body to send back Afghans | The Express Tribune

Siraj urges both countries to chalk out plan for their ‘dignified’ return
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
He should have dedicated his award to those Afghanis who stayed back in Afghanistan instead. They are the ones who are trying to rebuild Afghanistan so that these refugees can finally come back and live there peacefully. :inti
 
Illegal Afghan immigrants continue to leave the country as authorities continue to arrest and move them to holding centres.

Authorities said that a total of 6,584 refugees left Pakistan via the Torkham border on Sunday. The number included 892 families comprising 1,878 men, 1,624 women and 3,082 children.

Another 5,246 illegal citizens were sent back to Afghanistan via the Chaman border. The number included 1,717 men, 1,367 women and 2,162 children.

Authorities said that a total of over 188,000 Afghan refugees have so far left the country since the government first issued an ultimatum for their return on September 17.

Meanwhile, arrests continue to be made to transfer the illegal refugees to holding camps. On Sunday, 134 people from Karachi, 70 from Lahore and 14 from Islamabad were arrested and sent to holding camps for eventual deportation.

Source: AAJ News
 
A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a restraining order against the forceful deportation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.

Former senator Farhatullah Babar and other petitioners, represented by advocate Umar Gilani, urged the apex court's registrar's office on Monday to allot a case number and schedule a date for hearing.

The plea was moved four days ago but it is yet to be registered. The request submitted on Monday states that thousands of people are facing eviction and suffering on a daily basis.

The petitioners have prayed to the top court to "protect the fundamental rights of millions of people" residing in Pakistan under Article 4," states the request.

The federal government has initiated a crackdown against "undocumented" Afghan nationals - essentially persons seeking refuge in the country and awaiting legal formalities. Since November 1, 2023, the state has begun a campaign to forcibly evict around 1.3 million such persons under the garb of addressing the issue of "illegal migrants" on whom it has placed the unfair burden of the country's worsening economic and security concerns.

The petitioners' counsel contends that the "impugned directive" being undertaken by the "apex committee" of the caretaker cabinet "effectively amounts to a reversal of a 45-year-old Pakistani state policy of hospitality and leniency towards refugees, asylum-seekers and other migrants from the Afghan borders".

It further notes that "being a major policy decision, it [the move to evict and deport] exceeds the powers of the caretaker cabinet as provided under Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017".

"Besides, it is causing massive violations of fundamental rights and rulings of Superior Courts including Aamir Aman vs. Federation of Pakistan (PLD 2020 Sindh 533), Rahil Azizi versus The State (W.P. No. 1666/2023) and Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor versus Government of Pakistan (PLD 2021 Islamabad 305," it adds.

Advocate Gilani urged the registrar's office to "take urgent notice of the matter and to take all steps necessary for upholding the laws and the Constitution, and providing inexpensive and expeditions justice".

Around 1.3m are registered refugees and 880,000 more have legal status to remain in Pakistan, according to the latest United Nations figures.

Police and politicians have said a recent round-up targets only those without legal status and is in response to rising crime and poor regulation of immigration that is straining resources.

At least 700 Afghans have been arrested since early September in Karachi alone - 10 times more than in August - and hundreds more in the other cities, according to official police figures.

Afghans say the arrests have been indiscriminate.

They accuse police of extorting money and ignoring legal documents while pointing to rising anti-Afghan sentiment as prolonged economic hardship burdens Pakistani households and tensions rise between Islamabad and Kabul's new Taliban government.

Source: Express Tribune
 

Estimated 200,000 Afghan refugees return from Pakistan: Kabul​

At least 200,000 Afghan refugees have returned to the war-torn nation from Pakistan since Nov. 1, a spokesman for the interim Afghan administration told Anadolu.

Suhail Shaheen, who is also Taliban admin’s nominee to the UN, told Anadolu: “By estimates, some 200,000 Afghans have returned.”

Shaheen, however, said he cannot confirm the exact number of refugees who have returned to Afghanistan since Nov. 1.

Pakistan had set Nov. 1 as a deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the South Asian nation. Nearly one million people are targeted under what Islamabad calls the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.” The UN has urged Islamabad to halt such plans.

Convoys of Afghan refugees made beelines on their way back to Afghanistan and the interim Taliban administration has set up two main camps on their side of the border in Torkham and Spin Boldak.

Shaheen, who is a member of a media commission to oversee the repatriation of refugees to Afghanistan, said: “There are thousands of Afghan refugees facing forcible expulsion from Pakistan and their properties are taken from them unlawfully, unfortunately.”

At least 12 committees have been set up by the Taliban. They have installed tents inside the Afghan territory for the incoming people.

Shaheen said Afghan businessmen and the war-torn nation’s diaspora have come forward to help the Taliban administration.

“The incoming Afghans will be settled in their native provinces, townships, and cities,” Shaheen said.

On Pakistan’s accusations of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghanistan, Shaheen said the innocent refugees have nothing to do with the TTP.

“Security forces of Pakistan have to deal with them (TTP) and attacks by the TTP are launched from inside Pakistan,” he claimed.

Shaheen called the eviction of the undocumented refugees from Pakistan “pressure tactics used against Taliban.”

“Pakistan should treat Afghanistan on equal basis … on the basis of brotherhood,” he said, adding: “Pressure does not work.”

He said the 12 committees formed by the Taliban are responding to the needs of the returning refugees.

“There is a need for medicines, tents, food, and drinking water. Then comes resettlement and construction of houses for the refugees. It needs funds,” he said.

Islamabad said it has no plan to extend the deadline and all undocumented foreigners would be deported regardless of their nationality.

Pakistan has been hosting a large number of Afghan refugees since the 1979 Soviet invasion of its northern neighbour.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, more than 2 million undocumented Afghans were living in Pakistan, including at least 600,000 who left Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

tribune.com.pk

Estimated 200,000 Afghan refugees return from Pakistan: Kabul | The Express Tribune

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen says Afghanistan needs funds to deal with returning refugees
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
owenhcricket said:
Weren't most of these cricketers anti-pakistan and pro India, why dont they go to India?
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More than happy to accommodate Afghanis in pakistan but if they are anti Pakistani and pro india then they have no business in pakistan and every one them should be deported.

I was at Afghanistan vs pakistsn game last world cup in Leeds these guys are extremely aggressive towards Pakistan
 
Afghan and Indian logic is very similar.

When the Taliban has made Afghanistan a hell hole, the Afghans dont criticise them, instead they criticise the neighbouring country for not taking them in indefinitely.

Similarly when Israel makes Gaza a graveyard for children, instead of calling for bombing to end, most Indians criticise the neighbouring country.

They are really peas in a pod.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Afghan and Indian logic is very similar.

When the Taliban has made Afghanistan a hell hole, the Afghans dont criticise them, instead they criticise the neighbouring country for not taking them in indefinitely.

Similarly when Israel makes Gaza a graveyard for children, instead of calling for bombing to end, most Indians criticise the neighbouring country.

They are really peas in a pod.
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How does Afghanistan have fewer issues with its other neighbouring countries compared to Pakistan? I am referring to Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and of course China. All the drama seems Pakistan-centric.
 
Varun said:
How does Afghanistan have fewer issues with its other neighbouring countries compared to Pakistan? I am referring to Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and of course China. All the drama seems Pakistan-centric.
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I'm not too sure. There are some small scale border skirmishes with Iran but they aren't too significant.

If I was to hazard a guess I think its because the Taliban arent so strong in the areas near the former commie countries and much of the fighting took place in the more pashtun dominated areas near Pakistan. Most of the refugees then went to Pashtun areas of Pakistan as culturally they were quite similar.

Pak government was also happy to let the border be semi-loose as they could transport whatever they wanted into Afghanistan and it kept the tribals happy.
 
An important decision has been taken by the Caretaker Government regarding the registered Afghan refugees.

According to the details, caretaker government has decided to extend the registration card period of registered Afghan refugees by 6 months, approved by the caretaker federal cabinet through circulation summary.

According to sources, the extension of POR will apply to registered Afghan refugees and their families.

Sources say that the extension of POR will be applicable from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. The period of registration card for registered Afghan refugees expired on June 30, 2023.

Sources also said that the number of Afghan refugees registered in Pakistan is more than 1.3 million.

It should be noted that the process of repatriation of Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan continues in various ways, so far millions of Afghans residing illegally have been repatriated.

Source: ARY
 
189,259 illegal foreigners repatriated via Torkham border

The repatriation of illegal foreigners mostly Afghans continued to their home countries as 189,259 illegal foreigners have so far been repatriated till November 7, this year, ARY News reported.

The spokesman of the KP Home Department told APP that these foreigners were transferred through the Torkham border between September 17 and November 6, this year.

The immigrants included women and children who were provided free transport service from Landi Kotal holding camp up to the Torkham border that connects Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Similarly, 2,975 illegal immigrants were repatriated through Angor Ada South Waziristan. He said voluntary repatriation was being encouraged.

Repatriation from Punjab was also continued through the Torkham border where officials of relevant departments were assisting them.

Earlier today, Pakistan decided to extend the stay of registered Afghan refugees in the country for six months.

The sources said the decision to extend the tenure of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan was extended by the caretaker federal cabinet through a circulation summary.

The caretaker government of Pakistan decided to extend the stay of POR (Proof of Registration) card-holder Afghan refugees on the recommendation of the foreign office and interior ministry, the sources said.

The tenure that expired on June 30, 2023 now stands enforced until December 31. The decision will benefit registered Afghans and their families.



arynews.tv

189,259 illegal foreigners repatriated via Torkham border

PESHAWAR: The repatriation of illegal foreigners mostly Afghans continued to their home countries as 189,259 illegal foreigners have so far been
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
emranabbas said:
More than happy to accommodate Afghanis in pakistan but if they are anti Pakistani and pro india then they have no business in pakistan and every one them should be deported.

I was at Afghanistan vs pakistsn game last world cup in Leeds these guys are extremely aggressive towards Pakistan
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That's because they don't believe Pakistan is a real country, I assume they believe the Khyber region belongs to them, and they would probably like to resume hostile relations with India where they fight over Punjab and other outlying regions.
 

Pakistan to 'send back registered refugees' after deporting illegal migrants​

As a crackdown on illegal foreigners continues in Pakistan, the government plans to send back registered migrants as well after deporting the undocumented settlers, Balochistan's caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai said on Thursday.

"So far, 80,000 immigrants from Balochistan have left Pakistan. After this, [we] will send back the registered refugees as well," Achakzai said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.

The minister said that the foreigners living in Pakistan should have the authentic documents.

Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have got fake identification cards, he added.

"We have not taken the responsibility of the illegal residents. The crackdown on the illegal migrants will continue," Achakzai said, while warning the government in Afghanistan against giving harsh statements. "Pakistan knows how to crush all kinds of terrorism."

The minister said that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan have nosedived recently, but at the same time he noted that the deterioration in the relationship came as the nation was picking up the dead bodies.

Referring to an intelligence-based operation in the Sambaza area of Balochistan's Zhob district on October 31, in which six terrorists were killed, he said all of them were Afghans.

Quoting caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Achakzai said that the stats from the last two years — since the interim Taliban government took over Afghanistan — suggest a 500% rise in suicide bombings in Pakistan and a 60% rise in all over terrorist incidents.

He also mentioned the trading of illegal American arms in Afghanistan's black market as a "national security threat", saying that the same illegal arms were also used in the attack on the PAF base in Mianwali.

He said that the handful of terrorists present in the Afghan sanctuaries are using US arms against our people.

Coming down hard on the Afghan government, Achakzai said that all of the sanctuaries and terrorist training centres are operating under the Afghan authorities' noses.

"When you talk on the rhetoric level that our soil is not being used. It is a fact that Afghan soil is being used against us,” he asserted.

The minister said that Pakistan has been hosting Afghans for the last 40 years but now it is expelling them today, so no one should have any problem with this.

"We expect Afghanistan to do the same and send back the Pakistanis living there illegally," he added.

He said that the country has to assert its sovereign right, which is making sure that any migrant living in Pakistan is documented.

"And if we want to send anyone back, we are not supposed to take the consent from their [country's] foreign offices for doing so. It is our sovereign decision that Pakistan has taken as a state," he said.

Responding to a question, Achakzai said that the Afghan government doesn't even have a plan B for this issue so it is their problem how they deal with the deportation.

The minister went on to say that 800 people are fleeing every other day. Around a thousand migrants have been sent back after taking them in custody from Balochistan, he added.

Achakzai then lauded the Sindh government for cooperating with the Balochistan government in the action.

He further stated that the provincial government is deporting 10,000 undocumented Afghans through the Chaman border on a daily basis.

He also told the media that 100,000 fake identity cards have been blocked from two regions of Balochistan. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is swiftly working to block such cards, he added.

Source: Geo News
 
I hope all this will help in minimizing the terrorism at both sides of the border.
 
Repatriation of illegal immigrants: EU says Pakistan’s action not in line with international laws

BRUSSELS: Expressing concern over ‘forced return’ of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, the European Union has said that Pakistan’s action is not in line with its commitments towards international laws.

During a mid-day briefing, leading spokesperson for the European External Action Service Peter Stano said, “We are monitoring the situation and we are not only in contact with Pakistan’s authorities but also with the international aid agencies working in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

He said the repatriation of one million illegal Afghan immigrants in Pakistan is raising many questions, particularly in the context that they belong to different ethnic groups. “Our general position is that Pakistan’s action is not in line with its commitments towards international laws, particularly in the situation when the Taliban government in Afghanistan is against the women rights and various ethnic groups,” said Peter Stano.

He added the EU has conveyed its concerns to the Pakistan government because when the forcibly repatriated immigrants will try to return to Pakistan due to unfavourable circumstances in Afghanistan, their life will be in more danger.

“It is a matter of concern and we are in contact with our partners and Pakistan’s government,” Stano said.

DAWN​
 
Amnesty urges Pakistan to halt ‘deportation, detention, harassment’ of Afghan refugees

Amnesty International on Friday urged the federal government to “immediately halt the continued detentions, deportations and widespread harassment” of Afghan refugees.

From Nov 1, the government initiated a nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom were Afghans, after the deadline to voluntarily leave the country had expired.

Last month, the government had given an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by October 31 or risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries. The government decided to keep foreign nationals residing in the country without identity documents in “holding centres” before deporting them to their respective countries.

In a press release issued today, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia Campaigns Livia Saccardi said that thousands of Afghan refugees were being used as “political pawns” to be returned to Afghanistan where their “life and physical integrity could be at risk amidst an intensified crackdown on human rights and an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe”.

She stressed that “no one should be subjected to mass forced deportations, and Pakistan would do well to remember its international legal obligations, including the principle of non-refoulement.”

The principle of non-refoulement suggests that a person should never be expatriated to a state where he or she faces the risk of political persecution.

Saccardi said if the government did not halt the deportations immediately, “it will be denying thousands of at-risk Afghans, especially women and girls, access to safety, education, and livelihood.”

“Pakistan must fulfil its obligations under international human rights law to ensure the safety and well-being of Afghan refugees within its borders and immediately halt deportations to prevent further escalation of this crisis.

“The government, along with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, must expedite the registration of applicants seeking refuge in Pakistan, particularly women and girls, journalists, and those belonging to minority and ethnic communities as they face heightened risks,” the press release quoted her as saying.

The statement highlighted Amnesty International’s concerns regarding the “complete lack of transparency, due process, and accountability in the detentions and deportations over the last week”.

It said the situation was “exacerbated by increased incidents of harassment and hostility against Afghan refugees in Pakistan”, adding that many incidents of harassment were reported during which at least 12 people with valid Afghan citizen cards were detained on Nov 1 in Nishtar Colony and Garden Town Police Stations of Lahore without any first information report lodged against them.

“On Oct 24, Afghan traders in Akbari Mandi in Lahore were searched for documentation by individuals in plain clothes claiming to be police officials who confiscated Rs500,000 in cash,” the press release said.

Amnesty also raised issues about the holding centres, saying they were not constructed under any specific law and were being run parallel to the legal system.

“Amnesty International has verified that in at least seven detention centres, no legal rights are extended to detainees such as the right to a lawyer or communication with family members. Such centers are in violation of right to liberty and a fair trial. Also, no information is made public, making it hard for families to trace their loved ones,” the human rights watchdog claimed.

It further said that it had “confirmed with journalists across Pakistan that the media was not given access to these centres”, adding that this raised questions of transparency.

Plight of Afghan refugees
The statement quoted an Afghan refugee as saying: “We live in constant anxiety. There is a sense of fear among the Afghan community. We lock our doors as soon as we hear any police cars in the area.”

The press release said he was detained for more than four hours in an Islamabad holding centre on Nov 3, adding that there were hardly any translators who could communicate in Dari or Pashto.

It also narrated the plight of an Afghan journalist who has been hiding in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. “Even though I entered Pakistan on a valid visa and have applied for renewal, I do not have anything to show the authorities if they turn up at my doorstep. I have stopped sending my children to school for the past two weeks.

“I am on several lists maintained by the Taliban and I am certain I will be killed if I go back,” the journalist said.

The statement shed light on Afghan refugees who were part of religious minorities and faced “intersectional challenges amid deportations with the double threat of persecution upon their return”.

“An activist working with Christian refugee communities in Islamabad, Chaman, and Quetta, shared that a shelter housing a dozen Christian refugee families was forced to shut down after police raids,” the press release said.

Source: DAWN
 
Once all these illegal immigrants left Pakistan, the security at the border should be foolproof so we don't have any illegal people crossing the border. This will also get rid of the smuggling that damages Pakistan economy a lot.
 
The process of voluntary return and deportation of illegal foreigners on Friday continued as 3,605 more were deported through the Torkham border.

An official of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Home Department said that the process was going on as planned.

He said 577 families, including 1,136 men, 810 women and 1,453 children, were sent to Afghanistan via the Torkham border only.

He added that a total of 1,445 people had been deported from different areas of the country through the Torkham border.

Two hundred and eighty-eight undocumented foreigners from Peshawar, 81 from Punjab, 24 Islamabad as well as 1,052 Azad Kashmir and K-P were deported.

A total of 200,018 people in total had entered Afghanistan from the Torkham border under the programme so far, he informed.

He said 3,056 foreigners were sent to Afghanistan via the Angoor Adda border and a total of 15,260 families, 56,569 men, 43,769 women and 99,680 children were sent back through the Torkham border.

Likewise, a total of 2,000,018 illegal foreigners were sent to Afghanistan while 91 of them were transferred from the Peshawar Transit Centre to the Torkham border on Friday.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Deportation of foreigners under way | The Express Tribune

A total of 200,018 people entered Afghanistan via Torkham border
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Pakistan on Thursday responded to the renowned Hollywood actress and human rights activist, Angelina Jolie on the crackdown on illegal Afghans staying in the country.

Angelina Jolie in her statement expressed concern and criticised Pakistan’s government for deporting Afghan nationals.

Addressing a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch made it clear that Pakistan is deporting illegal Afghans staying in Pakistan and termed Jolie’s statement a ‘misunderstanding’ of the issue.

Commenting on the Gaza war, Ms. Baloch said Pakistan welcomes the joint declaration of the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in Saudi Arabia that urged the UN Security Council to enforce UN resolutions against Israel; its demand for ceasing export of weapons to the occupying force; and its call for international Criminal Court’s investigation into Israeli crimes.

She said we join the UN in paying homage to the workers of UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies who lost their lives in Gaza and appreciate their steadfast dedication to the people in need.

The FO spokesperson said Pakistan also condemns Israel’s war on hospitals in Gaza as a hospital after hospital is being targeted by the occupation forces in complete disregard of international law.

She said we are appalled by the Israeli incursion into Al-Shifa hospital, placing patients, medical staff and civilians at risk.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said we join the international community to hold Israeli occupation accountable for its attacks against hospitals.

She said Israel must also be held accountable for deliberately targeting mosques, churches, and schools sheltering civilians who have been rendered homeless because of Israel’s destruction of their homes.

The spokesperson further said the backers of Israel must stop Israel from implementing its plans for ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

Source: ARY

arynews.tv

Pakistan deporting illegal Afghans, FO responds to Angelina Jolie

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday responded to the renowned Hollywood actress and human rights activist, Angelina Jolie on the crackdown on illegal Afghans
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Yes, that's a valid point. I haven't seen any headlines about Angelina Jolie addressing the bloodshed in Gaza. If she claims to be a peace activist, she shouldn't be biased.
 
Pakistan implements one document regime at Afghan border

Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai said that one document regime had been implemented at the Pak-Afghan border crossing at Chaman, ARY News reported.

Over 1000 tokens had been issued for passports under the new single document regime at the Chaman Passport Office, and approximately 200 of them delivered to the applicants, he said in a statement.

“The decision for the single document regime taken at the Apex Committee chaired by the prime minister has been implemented in letter and spirit,” the minister said.

He added that the Qila Abdullah Passport Office was also fully functional and was issuing passports to the local people.

Jan Achkzai said despite all pressure the government ensured the implementation of one document regime,. No one would be allowed to cross the border of Pakistan without fulfilling international formalities for entering any country, he added.

The credit for implementation of the single document regime went to Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Caretaker Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki, the minister said.

He said the Afghan illegal immigrants, who were being repatriated to the country, would be allowed to enter Pakistan after showing their passports.

The cross-border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan would be through legal procedures adopted internationally on borders, he maintained.


arynews.tv

Pakistan implements one document regime at Afghan border

QUETTA: Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai said that one document regime had been implemented at the Pak-Afghan border crossing at Chaman, ARY
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 

PPAF undertakes mission to expand Afghan refugees' skill sets​

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has embarked upon the distribution of productive livelihood assets to Afghan refugee families under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) funded Poverty Graduation Programme (PGP) for Afghan Refugees.

Currently in its fourth phase, the programme is committed to empowering over 3,000 Afghan refugee families residing in six refugee camps in districts Nowshera, Quetta, Pishin and Islamabad.

This would enhance their self-reliance and livelihoods by equipping them with transferable skills applicable in both Pakistan and Afghanistan upon their return.

In the initial distribution phase, a total of 1,200 livelihood assets are being distributed across the Turkmen, Khesgi, and Akora Khattak camps in district Nowshera of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

A ceremony was held in Akora Khattak camp where Acting Chief Executive Officer, PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech and Livelihood Focal Point Officer, UNHCR Peshawar, Ashfaq Hussain distributed livelihood assets among the eligible Afghan Refugee families.

Arshad Rashid, Chief Programmes, PPAF and Executive Director, Initiative for Development & Empowerment Axis (IDEA), PPAF's implementing partner, Muhammad Amad were also present on this occasion.

Expressing gratitude to UNHCR for their enduring trust, Nadir Gul Barech highlighted the positive sustainable change brought about by the PPAF and UNHCR partnership, impacting over 7,000 Afghan refugee families since 2017.

Beneficiaries, equipped with productive assets and comprehensive training, have progressed significantly in enterprise development, asset management, and financial literacy, leading to enhanced self-sufficiency.

Muhammad Amad expressed thanks to UNHCR and PPAF for their support, acknowledging the programme's role in addressing vulnerabilities, improving livelihoods, and enhancing psychological well-being among Afghan refugee families.

Notably, each household receiving livelihood assets underwent mandatory three-day enterprise development training to ensure efficient and sustainable asset utilisation.

The programme also emphasised gender equality, particularly focusing on enhancing skills among female Afghan refugees.

The UNHCR is committed to fostering sustainable solutions for displaced populations, ensuring their protection, and promoting their self-reliance.

The ongoing partnership with PPAF stands as a testament to this dedication and is enabling Afghan refugee families to lead dignified lives marked by self-sufficiency.

Source: The Express Tribune
 
It is a very good initiative. This would help these refugees to become a valuable asset.
 
You have to ask yourself why the refugees have been deported now and there is no doubt in my mind that this is part of bigger plan to cause issues between PK and Afg. Our govt is singing American tune, and they are smarting from the humiliation by the Taliban. The Afghans are our Muslim brothers( and I know that sentiment isn't shared by them since our creation) but we should be working together, not working with people that hate us and hate everything about us.
 
Bewal Express said:
You have to ask yourself why the refugees have been deported now and there is no doubt in my mind that this is part of bigger plan to cause issues between PK and Afg. Our govt is singing American tune, and they are smarting from the humiliation by the Taliban. The Afghans are our Muslim brothers( and I know that sentiment isn't shared by them since our creation) but we should be working together, not working with people that hate us and hate everything about us.
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Sharif and Bhutto can have always been up for sale. Americans could care less about Pakistan or Afghanistan. I think we need to look closer to home subcontinent-wise to see who are the real pot bellied bullies of South Asia.
 
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Cpt. Rishwat said:
Sharif and Bhutto can have always been up for sale. Americans could care less about Pakistan or Afghanistan. I think we need to look closer to home subcontinent-wise to see who are the real pot bellied bullies of South Asia.
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Our Army has sold itself and is now being told what to do. Not a single thing that has happened in the last 18 months is in our interest. The Americans want Ind to become a rival against China, and to allow that, they want Ind to concentrate on China not PK ie no fear of conflict on 2 fronts.
 
More than 400,000 Afghans returned to their home country following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in the country, Pakistani authorities said Monday.

Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, confirmed the number and told The Associated Press that the majority have been using the border crossings of Torkham and Spin Boldak to return home.

An estimated 1.7 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan when authorities announced its nationwide crackdown, saying that anyone without proper documents had to leave the country by October 31 or else get arrested.

However, Pakistani officials said the other 1.4 million Afghans registered as refugees need not worry as only people without proper documentation were sought after.

Source: AP

apnews.com

More than 400,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan following crackdown on migrants

Pakistani officials say more than 400,000 Afghans returned to their home country following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in the country.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Pakistan’s decision to impose hundreds of dollars in exit fees for every Afghan refugee who fled the persecution by the Taliban has been condemned as “shocking and frustrating” by western diplomats and the UN.

The “unprecedented” move targets refugees who are waiting to leave Pakistan for western countries under resettlement schemes, and charges about $830 (£660) for each person.

It comes after Pakistan announced a crackdown on undocumented foreigners and declared 1 November was the deadline for about 2 million unregistered Afghans to leave the country. Pakistan started mass deportations of undocumented Afghans after the deadline passed.

Thousands of Afghans without the correct documents or with expired visas have been in Pakistan since the fall of Kabul in August 2021 waiting to restart their lives in countries in the west. Most of them worked with western governments and organisations and are eligible to be resettled on humanitarian grounds.

The US government plans to resettle almost 25,000 Afghans in the country. The UK has said it will resettle 20,000 people.

Five senior western diplomats in Pakistan told the Guardian the exit permit fee in Pakistan was unprecedented internationally and had come as a shock. “I know it is very tough economically for Pakistan but really, to try to make money off refugees is really unattractive,” said one diplomat.

The exit permit must be paid via credit card, which many Afghan refugees have no access to. Another diplomat said: “This makes it worse as it should be paid by refugees and most of them don’t have credit cards. I think we need a cooperative approach of working together to help the refugees and we expect Pakistan would help.”

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, said there was no plan to change the policy. “These individuals have been here for the last two years and they are not refugees but immigrants with overstay in their visas and lack of documents. But we expect the concerned countries would expedite the visa and approval process so that they can leave for their destination as early as possible,” she said.

Baloch said more information was needed to process the refugees’ resettlement because some western countries had been giving them names without further details. But a western diplomat said: “We are trying to provide information the Pakistani government is asking for, but we have legal restrictions as to how much information we can provide as well.”

The UK embassy in Islamabad refused to make a comment on the exit permit fee.

Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the UNHCR, said: “The UNHCR is working with the government of Pakistan to resolve the issue of exit fines and overstay visa fees for refugees in the resettlement programme. The UNHCR advocates with the authorities for the exemption of refugees from these requirements.”

He said the UN understood that the situation could cause anxiety among those who had fled to Pakistan but were eager to leave the country and restart their lives. “Resettlement is part of a global solidarity and lifesaving mechanism for some of the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers.”

Source: The Guardian
 
Legal Afghan refugees deported from Iran, passports destroyed: report claims

As an operation to deport Afghan refugees continues in Iran, a news report has claimed that even legal refugees are being forced out of the country.

The report, published by Afgahnistan based TOLO News, quotes Afghan officials posted in Herat to say that many refugees were ‘violently’ forced out of Iran and their passports and visas torn.

Abdullah Qayoumi, the head of immigration affairs at Islam Qala port in Herat, told TOLO that the Iranian government is simply not treating the passports as valid.

He added that the people with passports had the right to travel and find work in Iran.

“They are saying in the media that we are deporting those immigrants who do not have passports and legal documents, while this is not true,” Qayoumi was quoted as saying.

The report also quoted two Afghans, named Mohammad Naser and Khairullah, who said they were deported despite having valid documents.

The process of deportation of Afghan refugees has been going on for some time, but officials in Herat say the number has doubled over the last month.

A report from earlier in November had said that over 400,000 refugees have already been deported from Iran. The report said that the Iranian government believed that the refugees were involved in terrorism.

Meanwhile, the process of expelling refugees is also going on in Pakistan. Authorities in Pakistan have also insisted that only undocumented refugees are being sent back across the border.



www.aajenglish.tv

Legal Afghan refugees deported from Iran, passports destroyed: report claims

Earlier reports had claimed that over 400,000 refugees have been deported from Iran
www.aajenglish.tv
 
Pakistan to deport 10,000 illegal immigrants daily

The Caretaker Provincial Information Minister Jan Achakzai reiterated the government’s resolve and said that the illegal immigrants will be repatriated to their own country at any cost.

Addressing a press conference, on Wednesday, he said the government has set a target of deporting 10,000 immigrants every day. So far 135,000 illegal immigrants have returned to Afghanistan and this process is gradually progressing towards success.

He said that Afghans were involved in sixteen attacks in different bomb attacks and sabotage incidents during one year.

The government has decided that ten thousand illegal immigrants will be sent to Afghanistan every day; he said reiterating that who has an Afghani Tazkira or any other document cannot escape from following the government policies regarding one document regime.

He stressed the state of Pakistan has decided to crack down on terrorism, whether from across the border or within the country.

In order to speed up the process of repatriating illegal immigrants, the DIGs of Zhob, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Pishin, Mastung and Quetta districts have been urged to take one thousand migrants into custody and make them cross the border every day.

He said that Pakistan is now going to become a friendly investment country by preventing the elimination of drugs. He said that the country’s economy has improved due to the efforts of the Army Chief.



arynews.tv

Pakistan to deport 10,000 illegal immigrants daily

QUETTA: The Caretaker Provincial Information Minister Jan Achakzai reiterated the government’s resolve and said that the illegal immigrants will be
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
A group of academics on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s campaign to “en masse deport Afghans” and seeking orders to restrain law enforcement agencies from implementing the decision.

The plea, filed by six faculty members of the Lahore University of Management Sciences under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, has been fixed for hearing on Dec 1.

Article 184 (3) empowers the Supreme Court to hear cases from individuals who believe their fundamental rights have been violated and the issue is of public importance or take suo motu action (act on its own initiative).

In November, the government initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the caretakers refused to budge, insisting the move was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented. So far, thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.

Earlier this month, a similar application was filed by former PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar in the apex court seeking restraining orders against the expulsion of Afghans. A three-member SC bench will decide on the maintainability of the petition tomorrow.

The latest plea filed in the SC today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, named the federation, all four provinces, the Islamabad chief commissioner, the chief commissioner for Afghan refugees, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the director general of Immigration and Passports and the United National High Commissioner for Afghan refugees as respondents.

It stated that the petitioners, as concerned citizens, were compelled to file the plea in the interest of underprivileged and destitute Afghans living in Pakistan, “whether refugees, asylum seekers, so-called illegal foreigners or Pakistani citizens of Afghan origin”.

“This petition is necessitated due to the serious human rights abuses and blatant violation of the Constitution and international law being committed by the federal government, the provincial government and other government authorities in the name of Pakistan.”

The application raised a number of questions of law including the principle of refoulment under international law, violation of international law and violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

It recalled that Pakistan has been a “generous host” to approximately five million Afghan refugees for the past 40 years and the current situation in Afghanistan is a “real threat and danger” for refugees to return.

It pointed out that as per the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, there were 1.3m registered Afghans, 0.8m newly registered Afghans and 0.7m undocumented Afghans in Pakistan.

“Among the undocumented is an influx of an estimated 600,000 new Afghan arrivals since Aug 2021 after the takeover of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. An estimated 300,000 of those have tried to approach the UNHCR to register as refugees but UNHCR has not permitted to do so,” the petition stated.

It highlighted that Afghans did not obtain documentation because there was no such legal requirement previously and a “proof of registration card” was introduced in 2006. However, the card had to be extended from time to time due to its temporary validity period.

The plea went on to state that the current situation of Afghan refugees persisted due to the “lack of asylum/refugee law in Pakistan”.

It added that the caretaker government’s decision to expel Afghans “is not contained in any formal written letter” and does not “appear to have been passed under any legal authority such as the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any other statute.”

The petition highlighted that during the process of expulsion, Rs50,000 were taken from Afghan nationals at the borders while many of them were forced to abandon their homes, properties and businesses in Pakistan.

It further stated that reports showed law enforcement agencies were targeting all Afghan nations and deporting them, adding that even undocumented Afghans with confirmed refugee status would be expelled from Dec 2023.

“Since the impugned decision was made and the expiry of the deadline was given, Afghans are being subjected to forced expulsion, harassment, extortion, physical abuse, racial discrimination, separation from family members, and inhumane treatment in violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and international law,” the plea said, adding that various organisations had highlighted the same.

It also pointed out various international laws that prohibit the expulsion of aliens in circumstances where their lives would be under threat.

Highlighting the deportation of Afghan children born in Pakistan, the petition said the decision was a violation of the Citizenship Act. It added that Sections 3 (power to make orders), 4 (internees) and 9 (burden of proof) of the Foreigners Act were also “ultra vires” Article 10 of the Constitution — which related to the right of fair trial.

Moreover, the petition said the caretaker government could not take such a decision and hence violated Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017.

“The impugned decision is vague and arbitrary, with no rational reasons to support it. Every individual Afghan refugee, asylum seeker and alien has the right to the grounds on which they are subject to expulsion/deportation. It is apparent that the impugned decision not only lacks cogent reasons but is arbitrary and vague and should be set aside,” it said.

The plea subsequently prayed that the government’s decision to expel Afghans was “null and void” and of no legal effect for being constitutional. It added that Sections 3, 4, 9 and 14(2) of the Foreigners Act should be declared ultra vires the Constitution.

It also sought that Afghan children born in Pakistan should be entitled to Pakistani citizenship and the government should take all measures to reverse the harm done by facilitating the return of Afghans to their homes in Pakistan.

The petition added that a commission should also be formed to oversee and ensure the process was carried out fairly and justly.

Source: Dawn

www.dawn.com

Another petition filed in SC against deportation of Afghan nationals

Says the government's decision is "vague and arbitrary with no rational reasons"; petition fixed for hearing tomorrow.
www.dawn.com
 
The Peshawar High Court approved the applications of Afghans who married Pakistanis and ordered them to be issued Pakistan Origin Cards.

In the Peshawar High Court, the case for POC of Afghans married to Pakistanis was heard by Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmed.

Advocate Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner and submitted that any foreigner can get all the rights of a Pakistani citizen through a POC card. However, a person holding this card cannot make a passport and cannot vote.

Peshawar High Court accepted the applications of 109 Afghans and ordered to issue Pakistan Origin Card to all these 109 Afghans.

NADRA ordered to issue POC card in 5 cases

It should be noted that on November 17, the cases of 35 Pakistani women who married Afghan citizens were heard in the Peshawar High Court. Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmed heard the case.

The petitioner's lawyer said that through the POC card any foreigner can get all the rights of a Pakistani citizen, a person holding a POC card cannot hold a passport and vote.

The petitioner's lawyer further said that NADRA is not following its own rules for issuing cards related to Afghans, this action of NADRA is not in accordance with the stand of Ministry of Interior, POR and ACC cards have been issued to Afghan citizens.

The Peshawar High Court ordered NADRA to implement the issuance of POC cards in 5 cases.

The High Court had consolidated the other 120 cases and adjourned the hearing till December 1.

Source AAJ News
 
A nice move from the Peshawar High Court to grant rights to Afghan refugees who have married Pakistani nationals.
 
Afghanistan needs to fix its own issues. While Pakistan has played a major role in the current situation of Afghanistan, it does not give Afghan refugees automatic rights to settle in Pak permanently. Pakistan has every right to deport Afghan refugees if they are illegal.

Just goes to show that Taliban is not right for Afghanistan. They need a democratically elected Government even if it is corrupt and give proper rights and freedoms to all its citizens to develop. A fundamentalist government will never be competently accepted by its citizens.
 
4,02,312 illegal Afghans returned to homeland

At least 4,02,312 illegal foreigners including Afghans have so far been repatriated to their homeland in a dignified and safe manner.

The process of repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continuing.

“Thousands of Afghans are returning to their homeland on a daily basis through Chaman and Torkham borders, thanking Pakistan for its generosity,” Radio Pakistan reported.

Apart from other measures for the dignified return of Afghans to their country, transit camps equipped with all facilities have been established in various districts for their temporary accommodation.

It is pertinent to mention here that 3776 more illegal Afghan nationals, returned to their country yesterday.

Earlier, the Caretaker Provincial Information Minister Jan Achakzai reiterated the government’s resolve and said that the illegal immigrants will be repatriated to their own country at any cost.

He said the government has set a target of deporting 10,000 immigrants every day. So far 135,000 illegal immigrants have returned to Afghanistan and this process is gradually progressing towards success.

He said that Afghans were involved in sixteen attacks in different bomb attacks and sabotage incidents during one year.

The government has decided that ten thousand illegal immigrants will be sent to Afghanistan every day; he said reiterating that who has an Afghani Tazkira or any other document cannot escape from following the government policies regarding one document regime.



arynews.tv

4,02,312 illegal Afghans returned to homeland

ISLAMABAD: At least 4,02,312 illegal foreigners including Afghans have so far been repatriated to their homeland in a dignified and safe manner. The
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
What is the official view at leadership level on this policy? Imran Khan is in prison obviously so we are looking at the Sharif clan from Punjab or the Bhutto's from Sindh. I am not up to date with what they call themselves these days, PPP or PDM, but who actually represents the voice of Pakistan?
 
253,068 illegal immigrants repatriated from KP

The repatriation of people to Afghanistan continued as 253,068 people returned until December 2 through three border points in Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP), ARY News reported.

According to the KP Home Department, 248,890 people were repatriated through Torkham, 3,479 people through Angor Adda Waziristan, and 698 people via Kharlachi Kurram district.

A total of 5064 people, including 114 from Islamabad, 873 from Punjab, and 24 from Azad Kashmir, were deported through KP. Similarly, 6075 were deported through the Torkham border.

Earlier, the Caretaker Provincial Information Minister Jan Achakzai reiterated the government’s resolve and said that the illegal immigrants will be repatriated to their own country at any cost.



arynews.tv

253,068 illegal immigrants repatriated from KP

PESHAWAR: The repatriation of people to Afghanistan continued as 253,068 people returned until December 2 through three border points in Khyber
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
PHC allows issuance of Pakistan Origin Card to Afghan spouses of locals

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has provided major relief to Afghan spouses of Pakistani citizens, seeking grant of Pakistan Origin Card (POC) by declaring the requirement of foreign passport and Pakistan’s visa to them as harsh and illegal.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad ruled that the requirement of valid passport of a foreign country and visa for getting a POC was not mandatory under Nadra (POC) Rules, 2002.

The bench ruled that requirement of possessing a passport of foreign country along with valid visa of Pakistan was not harsh in rest of the cases but as far as Afghan refugees were concerned, it was found harsher for the reason of their extraordinary long stay in Pakistan, in most of the cases.

The bench gave its findings in a 33-page detailed judgment delivered in 109 petitions wherein the court had partially allowed pleas of petitioners seeking POC for Afghan spouses of Pakistani nationals.

“All these writ petitions are partially allowed to the effect that requirement of valid passport with valid visa shall not be considered mandatory in case one of the spouses is Pakistani and another claims to be a foreigner,” it said.

The bench, however, declared that that Nadra authorities would be fully competent to ask for further proofs and details and after satisfying themselves regarding the fact that the person fulfilled mandatory eligibility requirements of Rule 4 of POC Rules, and that he or she was actually an Afghan citizen, having security clearance, the POC should be issued otherwise the request should be rejected.

The bench directed that cases of all the petitioners should be considered by Nadra and appropriate orders in all those cases should be made and conveyed to the relevant applicants after affording them opportunity of hearings.

About plea of several of the petitioners regarding issuance of Form “B” to their children, the bench ordered: “It is therefore directed through this judgment again that in all the cases where one of spouses is Pakistani citizen, his or her offspring shall be registered without creating any hindrance.”

About the condition of security clearance for provision of POC, the bench ruled: “So far as requirement of security clearance is concerned, there is nothing wrong with it. Such a security clearance is not only need of the day but power of the authority to call for such a security is also available in Rule 13 of POC Rules, beside Rule 9 and Rule 7 thereof.”

The bench directed the chairman and director general of Nadra to issue fresh instructions to all the registration centres in compliance of the judgment.

The bench is of the opinion that the condition of requiring valid passport with valid visa of foreign country from foreigners, who happen to have been living in Pakistan for decades along with their family members, raising family members and integrating in this society, is found to be harsh, arbitrary, illogical and unreasonable.

“Same may no doubt be asked for and received but it should not be made a mandatory condition so as to declare non-holder of such a passport with visa to be ineligible for applying for POC,” the bench ruled. It added that no such eligibility condition was available under the rules and Nadra on the dent of its own instructions would not be able to place such a mandatory stringent condition.

Advocates Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel and Nouman Muhib Kakakhel represented majority of the petitioners and stated that Nadra Ordinance read with Nadra (POC) Rules, 2002, provided for grant of POC to spouses of Pakistani citizens.

“Protection of family has not only been considered important by framers of Constitution while encapsulating it in the chapter principles of policy but same is also basic unit of a society whereupon the building of Islamic society is built,” the bench observed.

“Every husband has a right to the company of his wife and every wife has a right to the company of her husband and so is the case with children. All the family members have duties towards others and corresponding rights and in no system of administration of justice it can be denied that a family may be allowed to be segregated just because one spouse happens to be a foreign national,” the bench ruled.

The bench also quoted different articles from Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
​
www.dawn.com

PHC allows issuance of Pakistan Origin Card to Afghan spouses of locals

Declares condition of passport and visa illegal.
www.dawn.com
 
Imran Khan, the Founder Chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, posted a special message from jail on his X Handle, regarding the treatment of Afghan refugees:

The treatment is based on the principles of Islam, the Kitab of Allah, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and our social values. Hijra holds a special place in Islam, exemplified by figures like Hazrat Musa, Mr. Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Prophet Jalil-ul-Qadr also experienced the stages of migration.

Good treatment of asylum seekers, deprived of their land due to wars and disasters, is our duty as a nation. Afghanistan is our brotherly Islamic country and neighbor, with centuries of brotherly relations between the people. Changing neighbors is not possible, and deep trusting relations are essential for Pakistan's secure future.

Pakistan has served Afghan refugees for 40 years, but the effects are being wasted due to poor strategy and years of hospitality. The burden of 1.5 million refugees on a nation of 250 million people is not significant. Most refugees are the poorest people seeking refuge from their own land. Mishandling the issue may lead to negative feelings among the entire Afghan nation, causing a lasting rift in the relationship between the two countries.

Imran Khan fears a permanent crack if the process of handling Afghan refugees is not changed. He advocates abandoning the approach of herding refugees like sheep and addressing the issue with wisdom. A dignified way must be taken, considering self-respect.
 
FearlessRoar said:
Imran Khan, the Founder Chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, posted a special message from jail on his X Handle, regarding the treatment of Afghan refugees:

The treatment is based on the principles of Islam, the Kitab of Allah, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and our social values. Hijra holds a special place in Islam, exemplified by figures like Hazrat Musa, Mr. Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Prophet Jalil-ul-Qadr also experienced the stages of migration.

Good treatment of asylum seekers, deprived of their land due to wars and disasters, is our duty as a nation. Afghanistan is our brotherly Islamic country and neighbor, with centuries of brotherly relations between the people. Changing neighbors is not possible, and deep trusting relations are essential for Pakistan's secure future.

Pakistan has served Afghan refugees for 40 years, but the effects are being wasted due to poor strategy and years of hospitality. The burden of 1.5 million refugees on a nation of 250 million people is not significant. Most refugees are the poorest people seeking refuge from their own land. Mishandling the issue may lead to negative feelings among the entire Afghan nation, causing a lasting rift in the relationship between the two countries.

Imran Khan fears a permanent crack if the process of handling Afghan refugees is not changed. He advocates abandoning the approach of herding refugees like sheep and addressing the issue with wisdom. A dignified way must be taken, considering self-respect.
Click to expand...
Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Friday said former prime minister Imran Khan’s statement about the expulsion of Afghan refugees was aimed at “garnering the sympathy” of the interim Afghan government.

In November, the caretaker government had initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the government has refused to budge, insisting the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented. So far, thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.

On Thursday, a statement from Imran — who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail — was issued on social media platform X on the issue, criticising the treatment allegedly being meted out to Afghan refugees.

Imran said that treating refugees with respect was a “national obligation” while also talking about the traditional and historical links between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said Pakistan had accommodated Afghan refugees for close to four decades and the effects of decades of hospitality were being wasted due to a “deficient plan”.

The PTI chief said 1.5m refugees were not that much of a burden on a population of 250m.

Responding to a question about the former premier’s statement during a press conference in Quetta, Solangi said: “It seems to me, that an attempt is being made to create an environment to garner the sympathy of Afghanistan’s government […] and indirectly, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members sent by them and create such an atmosphere in the next elections that his party gains an advantage in a way over other political parties.”

The information minister said if this was so, then it would be most “unfortunate because the need is that all parties have equal security and opportunity in the elections”.

Solangi said it was necessary to ask the PTI chief and his aides under which agreement or without asking the Parliament, “thousands of TTP terrorists” were allowed to resettle in Pakistan before the end of the PTI government’s term.

The information minister also questioned the legitimacy of Imran’s post, saying that the facility to post on social media about anything was not being provided to the PTI chief. He asked whether the statement had indeed been posted by him.

“If this really is his opinion, I wish that he had also spoken about the difficulties of 250m Pakistanis instead of trying to represent the illegal Afghans in Pakistan,” he said.

Solangi said the accusation in Imran’s post regarding the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees was “baseless”, saying that the majority of the 500,000 that left were not “shoved out” and had left willingly while only a few thousand were forcefully expelled.

He added that there may have been one or two instances of injustice in the exercise but the provincial and federal governments would take notice and investigate them.

Solangi said the government would be mindful and ensure that humanitarian norms were considered during the deportation exercise.

Source: Dawn

www.dawn.com

Imran’s statement on Afghan refugees aimed at ‘garnering sympathy’ of Afghan govt: info minister

Imran had stated that 1.5m refugees were not that much of a burden on a population of 250m.
www.dawn.com
 
Afghans residing legally to be deported if found involved in political activities, says Bugti

Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday said that any Afghan residing legally in the country if found engaging in political activities would be deported.

In November, the caretaker government had initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the government has refused to budge, insisting the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented. So far, thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.

Providing an update on the deportation drive in an Islamabad press conference today, Bugti announced that the government had devised a new policy for legal Afghan residents, refugees with Afghan Citizen Cards or other relevant identification.

“They cannot participate in any political activity in Pakistan, they have nothing to do with Pakistan’s politics. Around 10 people have been identified initially, and the number is growing [of those] involved in political activities and they are being deported.”

Bugti said the policy would be implemented across the board against all categories of Afghans with legal documentation, including those with business or tourist visas.

He added that “visa holders from other countries or those on a business visa or any other visa or with any other status” would also be expelled if they participated in political activities.

The interior minister said that with the February 8 general elections inching closer, such individuals would be deported as soon as possible. He said the government was searching for such individuals, adding that he would provide an updated count within a week.

“Pakistanis have to engage in politics, we have the right to politics and we will carry it out while remaining within the Constitution.”

The interior minister said 482,845 people had left the country through various borders under the government’s deportation drive, with 90 per cent or slightly more returning voluntarily.

Bugti said the first phase of the deportation drive was still under way, adding that “ultimately everyone has to go back in the second stage […] Finally, the time is coming when only Pakistanis will live in Pakistan.”

The minister said that whoever wanted to come to Pakistan would have to do so legally. He claimed the figures showed there was no substance to the perception being perpetuated in the media about the “manhandling” of refugees or their harassment.

Source: DAWN
 
It is a good decision. Pakistani politics must only be done by Pakistani people.
 
Elite Afghan troops face return to Taliban after UK 'betrayal'

About 200 members of Afghan special forces, trained and funded by the UK, face imminent deportation to their Taliban-controlled homeland, the BBC has learned.

The figures - gathered by a network of Afghan veterans - reveal the scale of what one former UK general calls a "betrayal" and a "disgrace".

The soldiers fled to Pakistan, which now says it will expel Afghan refugees.

The UK says it has brought thousands of Afghans to safety.

Gen Sir Richard Barrons, who served the British Army in Afghanistan for over 12 years, told BBC Newsnight that the failure of the UK to relocate these soldiers "is a disgrace, because it reflects that either we're duplicitous as a nation or incompetent".

"Neither are acceptable," he said. "It is a betrayal, and the cost of that betrayal will be people who served with us will die or spend their lives in prison."

The issue was also brought up by MPs in an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on Monday.

In 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had told Parliament that the service of these Afghan special forces had been "incredibly important", adding the UK would do "whatever we can" to get "safe passage" for them.

The fears for the Afghan commandos come as it was revealed the government also rejected calls from senior British diplomatic and military figures to offer asylum to key Afghan civilian leaders whose lives were in danger.

The BBC has obtained a private letter sent in March 2022 to the Foreign Office, which called for urgent help to be given to a group of 32 former governors, prosecutors and officials who worked with the UK and US in Helmand Province during operations between 2006 and 2014.

Like most of the 200 special forces soldiers, these 32 officials had applied to come to the UK through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme (ARAP), intended for those employed by the UK government, or who "worked in Afghanistan alongside a UK government department, in partnership with or closely supporting it".

Many of the officials and the soldiers were rejected, while others are still waiting for a decision after more than a year.

One of the officials, a former district governor, told the BBC his application for help through the scheme was refused two weeks ago, more than 20 months after he first applied.

Sir Richard, one of the private letter's signatories, said: "We made a special commitment to these people, and we have not honoured it with an efficient, effective or even compassionate system."



www.bbc.com

Elite Afghan troops face return to Taliban after UK 'betrayal'

About 200 British-trained special forces soldiers are in danger as Pakistan expels undocumented foreigners.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Deadline for illegal Afghans’ stay extended​

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved changes in the rules and regulations to facilitate the Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan, who neither have any legal proof of entry nor processing fee, and want to leave for a third country.

The cabinet meeting was presided over by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, while addressing a news conference along with the health and IT (information technology) ministers after the cabinet meeting, said according to the new rules and regulations, the Afghan nationals, who have to evacuate to a third country and do not have any legal documents or processing fees, would be fined $400 for overstaying in Pakistan instead of $800.

The deadline for stay of such Afghan nationals in Pakistan had also been extended from December 31, 2023 to February 29, 2024, he said, adding the fine, after the due date, would be imposed at the rate of $100 per month with a maximum limit of $800.

He said the measures were aimed at encouraging the Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan to obtain legal documents or finalise evacuation agreements as soon as possible in a third country.

Source: The Express Tribune
 
Pakistan foils attempt of Afghan nationals to cross the border

Balochistan’s caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said on Thursday that Pakistan had foiled an attempt by 120 Afghan nationals to cross into Pakistan without documentation.

Speaking to reporters, Achakzai said that the campaign against illegal immigrants was still underway.

He said border forces had stopped the 120 Afghans from entering Pakistan and had escorted them back across the border.

Achakzai praised the performance of the Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Federal Investigation Agency and NADRA in securing the border.

He said that the government had sucessfully managed to send back over 500,000 illegal immigrants to Afghanistan and the number would continue to use.

On Chaman,, he said that the government was coninuously in touch with the people there and would solve their problems soon.

He said that the government wanted to transform Chaman into a busy commercial centre for the betterment of its people.

He added that the involvement of two Afghan nationals in the recent attack on security forces in Bannu had proved that the government stance on Afghans was correct.



www.aajenglish.tv

Pakistan foils attempt of Afghan nationals to cross the border

Jan Achakzai says operation against immigrants is still going on
www.aajenglish.tv
 
435,152 illegal Afghans repatriated to Afghanistan

Repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continued in a dignified and safe manner.

1634 illegal Afghan nationals returned to their country yesterday. So far, 435,152 illegal Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, chaired by Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

The government of Pakistan is facilitating the illegal Afghans in the repatriation process at the Torkham and Chaman borders.

Earlier, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti rejected any ‘manhandling’ of illegal immigrants in Pakistan’s repatriation process.

“Prime Minister [Anwaarul Haq Kakar] has given very clear instructions that there should be no manhandling of illegal immigrants during the repatriation process,” the interior minister said while speaking on the Senate floor.

Sarfraz Bugti also assured the House that any mismanagement on the borders would be checked and suggestions from the political leadership in this regard would be welcomed. “No Afghan refugee having legal documents has been even touched,” he added.




arynews.tv

435,152 illegal Afghans repatriated to Afghanistan

Repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continued in a dignified and safe manner. 1634 illegal Afghan nationals
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Elite Afghan troops face return to Taliban after UK 'betrayal'

About 200 members of Afghan special forces, trained and funded by the UK, face imminent deportation to their Taliban-controlled homeland, the BBC has learned.

The figures - gathered by a network of Afghan veterans - reveal the scale of what one former UK general calls a "betrayal" and a "disgrace".

The soldiers fled to Pakistan, which now says it will expel Afghan refugees.

The UK says it has brought thousands of Afghans to safety.

Gen Sir Richard Barrons, who served the British Army in Afghanistan for over 12 years, told BBC Newsnight that the failure of the UK to relocate these soldiers "is a disgrace, because it reflects that either we're duplicitous as a nation or incompetent".

"Neither are acceptable," he said. "It is a betrayal, and the cost of that betrayal will be people who served with us will die or spend their lives in prison."

The issue was also brought up by MPs in an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on Monday.

In 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had told Parliament that the service of these Afghan special forces had been "incredibly important", adding the UK would do "whatever we can" to get "safe passage" for them.

The fears for the Afghan commandos come as it was revealed the government also rejected calls from senior British diplomatic and military figures to offer asylum to key Afghan civilian leaders whose lives were in danger.

The BBC has obtained a private letter sent in March 2022 to the Foreign Office, which called for urgent help to be given to a group of 32 former governors, prosecutors and officials who worked with the UK and US in Helmand Province during operations between 2006 and 2014.

Like most of the 200 special forces soldiers, these 32 officials had applied to come to the UK through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme (ARAP), intended for those employed by the UK government, or who "worked in Afghanistan alongside a UK government department, in partnership with or closely supporting it".

Many of the officials and the soldiers were rejected, while others are still waiting for a decision after more than a year.

One of the officials, a former district governor, told the BBC his application for help through the scheme was refused two weeks ago, more than 20 months after he first applied.

Sir Richard, one of the private letter's signatories, said: "We made a special commitment to these people, and we have not honoured it with an efficient, effective or even compassionate system."



www.bbc.com

Elite Afghan troops face return to Taliban after UK 'betrayal'

About 200 British-trained special forces soldiers are in danger as Pakistan expels undocumented foreigners.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
Click to expand...

Good old UK. Just like America.

Very good at backstabbing.
 
PM says Pakistan cannot continue to compromise national security by accommodating illegal aliens

Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has again defended the government’s decision to repatriate undocumented individuals, saying that Pakistan cannot continue to compromise its national security by accommodating such people.

In November, the caretakers had initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the government refused to budge, insisting the move was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented. So far, thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.

Earlier this month, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir had also backed the interim government’s decision to deport illegal foreigners, saying that they were “seriously affecting Pakistan’s security and economy”.



www.dawn.com

PM says Pakistan cannot continue to compromise national security by accommodating illegal aliens

Pakistan has benefitted from "hard-working" migrants but socio-economic and security cost of the influx has been "staggering", he writes in op-ed.
www.dawn.com
 
Over 438,000 illegal Afghans returned to their homeland

Repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continuing in a dignified and safe manner, ARY News reported.

As per details, 1586 illegal Afghan nationals returned to their country on Monday taking the total number of returned immigrants to 438,376.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, chaired by Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.




Source: ARY
 
Pakistan deported Afghans waiting for US resettlement: report

The caretaker government’s huge deportation drive has forcibly repatriated scores of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States, an advocacy group and Afghan applicants say, alleging that authorities often ignored US embassy letters of protection.

That complicates the efforts of such Afghans, as the US has shuttered its embassy in Kabul and they must also grapple with human rights restrictions and stubborn financial and humanitarian crises in their homeland.

Pakistan began expelling more than a million undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, on November 1, amid a row over accusations that Kabul harbours the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other militants, a charge the ruling Taliban deny.

More than 450,000 Afghans have returned home, the United Nations says, many now living in difficult winter conditions near the border.

At least 130 Afghans being processed for US special immigration visas or refugee resettlement in the United States have been deported, said Shawn VanDiver, president of Afghan Evac, the main coalition of groups helping such efforts.

He cited data from coalition members and details provided to the US government by its Islamabad embassy, which he has seen.

The police have arrested more than 230 such Afghans, although about 80 have since been released, he added.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior US State Department official said the United States had “no formal way to track these kinds of cases”, adding that the number of Afghans deported while awaiting US resettlement was “very small”.

Dawn.com has reached out to the foreign and interior ministries for comment on the matter.

As the clock ticked down to Nov 1, the US embassy e-mailed protection letters to some 25,000 Afghans to prove to authorities they were being processed for resettlement in the United States, after its last troops left Kabul in 2021.

A US State Department spokesperson said Washington had also supplied Pakistan with a list of Afghans “in the US resettlement pipelines” after it unveiled the deportation plan in October.

VanDiver and two Western diplomatic sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue, said local authorities had ignored the letters in many instances.

“The letters matter in some cases and not in others,” said VanDiver. “Not all local officers are abiding by it.”

The senior State Department official said the United States has examples of police respecting the letters but gave no details.

Reuters spoke with two Afghan families whose members were deported after showing police the letter and an Afghan who was detained despite the letter.

The latter said he was released with a warning that he would be arrested again without a visa extension.

Refugee advocates and Afghans say the deportations and arrests underscore the precarious nature of the long wait facing Afghans whom Washington has vowed to protect and resettle, many of them told to travel to a third country for processing.



www.dawn.com

Pakistan deported Afghans waiting for US resettlement: report

Afghan Evac President Shawn VanDiver says at least 130 deported who were being processed for US special immigration.
www.dawn.com
 
Over 500,000 illegal immigrants have been repatriated so far, Senate told

More than 500,000 illegal immigrants have been repatriated so far under the government’s deportation drive against illegal aliens, the interior ministry informed the Senate on Tuesday.

In October, the government had given an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by Oct 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.

After the deadline lapsed, the caretaker government formally initiated a nationwide campaign to expel illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the move had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and human rights groups, the government refused to budge, insisting that it was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

In a written reply submitted to the Senate today, the interior ministry elaborated on the number of deportations. The reply was submitted in response to a question by Senator Mohsin Aziz on the number of illegal residents in the country as well as the number of those deported.

“Around 1.7 million illegal aliens are unlawfully living in the country, the majority of whom are Afghans. They are living without any legal documentation necessary for staying in the country. 541,210 people have been sent back after the cabinet’s approval of the deportation plan for illegal residents,” the ministry said, adding that close to 1.15m were still residing in the country.

The ministry said that continuous efforts were under way to identify and deport the remaining people. It further said that 271,985 people were repatriated via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 159,161 through Balochistan.

It added that according to data from other systems such as the Integrated Border Management System, a further 110,064 had also left the country.

An advocacy group and Afghan applicants say the government’s deportation drive has forcibly repatriated scores of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States while also alleging that authorities often ignored US embassy letters of protection.



Source: Dawn News
 

Mass repatriation of illegal Afghan citizens continues​


A large-scale repatriation process of illegal Afghan residents from Pakistan continues, with 944 individuals making their way back to Afghanistan on January 10, 2024.

The repatriates consisted of 189 men, 167 women, and 588 children, marking a substantial return to their home country.

Prior to the official announcement by the govt, concerns over potential arrests prompted a considerable number of Afghan citizens to leave Pakistan.

The total count of illegal Afghan residents departing from Pakistan has now reached 464,656 as of January 10, 2024, signifying an ongoing and widespread repatriation trend.

To facilitate the return, 45 vehicles carried 84 families back to Afghanistan, showcasing a collaborative effort in the repatriation process.

Source : Samaa News
 
Half a million Afghans return from Pakistan: IOM

More than 500,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the four months since Islamabad ordered undocumented migrants to leave or face arrest, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.

According to the latest figures reported by the UN migration agency, 500,200 Afghans left Pakistan between September 15, 2023 and January 13, 2024.

Most rushed to the border in the days leading up to a November 1 exit deadline Islamabad set for the 1.7 million Afghans it said were living illegally in Pakistan, and as police opened dozens of holding centres.

"Since the initial peak around November 1, the number of individuals crossing these official border points have consistently decreased but remains higher than pre-September 15th," an IOM statement said.

Pakistan defended the crackdown by pointing to security concerns in its regions bordering Afghanistan and pressure on its struggling economy.


tribune.com.pk

Half a million Afghans return from Pakistan: IOM | The Express Tribune

500,200 Afghans left Pakistan between September 15, 2023 and January 13, 2024; dispute affects busiest border crossing
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Illegal Afghan nationals repatriate in large numbers

Illegal Afghan residents are steadily returning to their homeland from Pakistan, with figures reaching a significant milestone by February 6, 2024. According to recent reports, a total of 484,332 individuals have made the decision to leave Pakistan and embark on the journey back to Afghanistan.

The repatriation process, which has been ongoing, signifies a notable effort to address the issue of illegal residency and provide support for those seeking to return to their home country.

This movement reflects a collaborative effort between Afghan and Pakistani authorities to ensure a smooth transition for returning citizens.

From February 3 to February 6 alone, a remarkable 3,076 Afghan citizens bid farewell to the cities they once resided in Pakistan.

Among them were 1,145 men, 924 women, and 1,007 children, each making the courageous choice to return to their roots.

To facilitate the return journey, authorities have mobilized resources, including 142 vehicles, to transport 212 families back to Afghanistan.

This logistical support underscores the commitment to assist returning citizens in their transition back to their homeland.

Source: Samaa News
 
Irrespective of your feelings on the legality and perhaps practicality (given both India & Pakistan are poor countries) of refugees immigrating into your country and staying there long term, it's a tragedy to see the human loss. I'm not sure of the actual numbers but let's say a million refugees are forcibly repatriated into Afghanistan, that could mean upwards of 100K girl children now no longer get to study. Maybe there's the next Einstein or the discoverer of the vaccine to the next global pandemic who'll now be forced to stop studies at the primary level and spend her life mending clothes and washing dishes.

I get the fact that maybe supporting all of these refugees could become a burden on an already poor country but what annoys me most is to see keyboard warriors whose lives have been barely affected by these folks or in some cases not affected at all since they don't even live in the country impacted glory in the human tragedy.

At least recognise that this is suffering on a large scale for people whose only crime was to look for a better life for themselves and their families.
 
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram clarified to the UN Security Council on Wednesday that there were no forced deportations of Afghans from Pakistan.

Addressing a special Security Council session on Afghanistan, Ambassador Akram emphasised that characterising the protection environment for Afghans in Pakistan as unfavorable is inaccurate and offensive.

He stated that after Pakistan announced its plan to enforce laws on illegal aliens, 500,000 undocumented Afghans voluntarily returned to Afghanistan. He noted 98 per cent of these returns were voluntary, with the remaining 2pc involving individuals engaged in terrorism, drug smuggling, or other crimes.

Ambassador Akram expressed displeasure with a UN report claiming an unfavorable protection environment in Pakistan, highlighting the country’s four-decade-long sheltering of almost five million Afghan refugees.

International community, Afghanistan reminded of their obligations towards each other
Click to expand...
“Even today, over one million undocumented Afghans remain in Pakistan. They should return forthwith. We have made several exceptions for those with Afghan ID cards, POR cards, for those who may be ‘vulnerable’ if they return,” he said.

As the session began, the UN envoy for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva reiterated a call for the Taliban to lift restrictions on women and girls, warning of worsening human rights violations if the constraints persist.

She said that the recent arbitrary arrest of Afghan women for alleged Islamic dress code violations was having a chilling effect among the wider female population, “many of whom are now afraid to move in public”.

The UN envoy added, “The denial of women and girls’ access to education and work, and their removal from many aspects of public life, has caused immense harm to mental and physical health, and livelihoods.”

Humanitarian assistance

Ambassador Akram reminded the international community that it had an obligation to help the millions of destitute Afghans with the provision of unconditional humanitarian assistance. He also urged the global community to help revive the Afghan banking system and commercial activities, and create necessary conditions for the release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets to its Central Bank.

Pakistan also highlighted the need to implement the planned infrastructure and regional connectivity projects for Afghanistan, including the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project.

At the same time, the Afghan interim government was reminded that it too had an obligation to refrain from threats against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring and other countries and to prevent terrorist attacks against them from the territory of Afghanistan. “The violation of these principles and norms is not in the immediate or long-term interests of Afghanistan,” Ambassador Akram said.

“Pakistan considers sustained engagement with the Afghan interim government to be essential to normalise the situation in Afghanistan.”

SOURCE: DAWN
 
The suspect arrested by the Kalri police turned out to be the leader of the Afghan dacoit gang involved in various criminal activities in Karachi, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The police spokesperson revealed that the 15-member Afghan dacoit gang involved in bloodshed and looting from the citizens residing in the city of lights.

During the investigation, the arrested leader of Afghan dacoit gang identified as Abidullah alias Karzai revealed that the associates of his gang are involved in the killing of a police constable Wahid Parvaiz, on February 13, and a Rangers officer, Asif, during the robbery.

The constable, posted as gunman in a security van to a judge, was martyred near his house in North Karachi area of the metropolis.

It was revealed that the accomplices of the accused Bilal, is skilled in making petrol bombs, while Ahmad Ullah Afghani and Khan are involved in killing and injuring several citizens.

The accused Haseebullah alias Karzai used to escape to Afghanistan after committing the crime and used to operate the gang from Afghanistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that a video of a robbery incident went viral on social media, in which a robber was caught by the public and tied to a pole but was shortly rescued by his armed accomplices.

arynews.tv

Leader of Afghan dacoit gang arrested by Karachi police

KARACHI: The suspect arrested by the Kalri police turned out to be the leader of the Afghan dacoit gang involved in various criminal activities in
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Pakistan has ‘decided’ to launch a second phase of deporting illegal Afghans after Eidul Fitr, ARY News reported, citing sources

Sources within the Interior Ministry, recently taken over by Mohsin Naqvi, has informed the federating units about the launch of the second phase of illegal Afghans’ deportation.

However, the final date of the crackdown will be revealed later.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, 2023, chaired by the then-caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

Since the expiry of the deadline over 500,000 illegal Afghans have returned to their homeland via the Torkham and Chaman borders.

Pakistan faced criticism from several countries including US, UK, Afghanistan and others, but it rejected all the statements and said only Afghans living illegally in Pakistan were being deported to control increasing crimes.

arynews.tv

'Second phase of illegal Afghans' repatriation after Eid'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has 'decided' to launch a second phase of deporting illegal Afghans after Eidul Fitr, ARY News reported, citing sources. Sources
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Repatriation efforts continue as illegal Afghans return home

The repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan continues at a steady pace, with significant progress made as of April 13, 2024. A total of 535,940 illegal Afghans have now returned to their homeland, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts.

Over the past ten days, from April 3 to April 13, a total of 8,581 Afghan citizens have made the journey back home. Among them, 3,127 men, 1,972 women, and 3,482 children have returned.

In a coordinated effort, 310 families have been safely repatriated to Afghanistan, utilizing 287 vehicles for their journey.

This indicates the scale of the operation, also the logistical planning involved in ensuring the safe return of these families to their home country.

The ongoing repatriation efforts underscore the commitment to address the issue of illegal Afghan immigrants in Pakistan while prioritizing the safety and well-being of those returning to Afghanistan.


Samaa TV
 
Pakistan to start second phase of Afghan deportations

Pakistan is set to start the second phase of a controversial plan to send undocumented Afghan refugees back to their country.

Beginning Sunday, authorities are likely to expel more than 800,000 Afghans from the country, after about 541,000 were forced to leave in the first phase in November last year.

If they do not leave voluntarily, the refugees face arrest and deportation.

Before the first phase of repatriation, the Pakistani government claimed there were nearly 4.4 million Afghan refugees, out of which an estimated 1.73 million were undocumented.

The government has defended the crackdown, citing security concerns and a struggling economy.

The deportation order came amid a dramatic increase in armed attacks across Pakistan, with the government attributing the attacks to groups and nationals based in Afghanistan, an allegation the Taliban government in Afghanistan rejected.


www.aljazeera.com

Pakistan to start second phase of Afghan deportations

More than 800,000 Afghans are likely to be expelled in the second phase of the controversial plan.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
115,000 Afghan refugees repatriate from Pakistan and Iran

Approximately 115,000 Afghan refugees have returned to homeland from neighboring Pakistan and Iran over the past one month, the country's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has said.

"In the past month, nearly 115,000 Afghan citizens have returned from Pakistan and Iran," local media TOLOnews channel quoted Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, the spokesman of the ministry, as saying.

Haqqani said cash and food have been distributed to the returnees.

Over 2.5 million Afghan refugees have reportedly been living in Pakistan and about the same number in Iran.

The Afghan caretaker government has been urging Afghan migrants living abroad to return home and contribute to rebuilding their war-ravaged country.

Previously, Pakistan's federal cabinet extended the validity period of the ‘Proof of Registration (POR) cards’ issued to the Afghan refugees in the country for three months and green-lit the establishment of an additional special court in Makran division to deal with anti-narcotics cases in Balochistan.

The cabinet was informed that the POR card holders would be repatriated in the third phase of the programme to repatriate illegal aliens from Pakistan. However, the first phase of repatriation programme was ongoing.


Express Tribune
 

Registered Afghan refugees' stay extended for one year​


Pakistan has granted an extension of another year in the stay of Afghan immigrants legally residing in the country a day after the UN refugee commissioner asked for a pause in the country's plan to repatriate refugees.

In a meeting on Wednesday, the federal cabinet gave a go-ahead to a one-year extension of Proof Of Registration (POR) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees and whose POR cards expired last month.

The extension in the POR cards has been granted till 30th June next year.

The development came a day after United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi met top Pakistani officials including Prime Minister Shehbaz and appreciated the country for suspending the "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan," according to a statement issued by the UNHCR.

During his discussions with Pakistani officials, the high commissioner had called for the timely extension of the POR cards, a critical identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghan refugees.

The statement said Grandi also sought assurance that the repatriation plan would remain on hold.

In the meeting, PM Shehbaz called on the world to recognise the country's burden of hosting a large population of Afghan refugees and demonstrate collective responsibility.

Islamabad began expelling undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, in November last year amid a row over accusations that Afghanistan harbours militants, a charge its ruling Taliban deny.

Pakistan says it is also struggling to host millions of refugees as it grapples with an economic crisis.

Last year, Pakistan announced a huge drive to repatriate foreigners without visas, mostly the roughly 4 million Afghans who crossed the border during 40 years of armed conflict in their home country and after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

More than 500,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan since the campaign was announced, according to UN figures.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, earlier this week wrapped up a three-day visit during which he called for the extension of the registration cards and said the international community should find more solutions for refugees and host countries such as Pakistan, the UNHCR statement said.

www.thenews.com.pk

Registered Afghan refugees allowed to stay in Pakistan for one more year

Pakistan has granted an extension of another year in the stay of Afghan refugees legally residing in the country a day after the UN refugee commissioner asked for a pause in the country's plan to...
www.thenews.com.pk www.thenews.com.pk
 
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