Afghan refugees in Pakistan given one month ultimate

Pakistan announced a one month ultimatum to the foreigners and immigrants residing in the country unlawfully to leave, otherwise action will be taken against them after the time limit.

Pakistan’s Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti in a press conference said that November 1 is the deadline for the illegal aliens to leave the country voluntarily.

The presser comes following an apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) where caretaker Prime Minister chaired the meeting to handle the issue of illegal migrants.

The decision comes as Pakistan hosts over 1.7 million Afghans who fled violence in Afghanistan which are not under a mass deportation.

As of the end of 2022, Pakistan hosted more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees and 427,000 people in “refugee-like situations” from Afghanistan, according to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Even before the announcement, the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan has long been controversial with police crackdowns and threat of deportation has always been there. Pakistan had already deported hundreds of Afghans this year.

Federal Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti along with Balochistan Interim Minister Information Jan Muhammad Achakzai addressing press conference regarding Mastung blast. (APP)

There is a claim that Afghan refugees were involved in terrorist attacks. Bugti said that Afghan nationals had carried out 14 of the 24 terrorist attacks in Pakistan this year.

Afghan nationals were involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan

“We have evidence that Afghan nationals were involved in attacks,” Bugti said, but did not specify what kind of evidence he has.

The saddened decision to deport Afghans came days after at least 60 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a deadly suicide blast in Balochistan’s Mastung district.

At least 271 militant attacks took place during the first half of 2023, according to a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS),

At least 389 people lost their lives in these attacks and 656 others received injuries. It also showed that terror activities in Pakistan had surged by 79 percent during this period.

Due to a surge in insurgency, Bugti warned the illegal immigrants to quit Pakistan by November first or face forcible expulsion.

Taliban says Afghans were not involved in any terrorist attacks

However, the government of Afghanistan has strongly rejected the news and said that Afghans were not involved in any terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

The behavior of Pakistan against Afghan refugees is unacceptable, said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

“The behavior of Pakistan against Afghan refugees is unacceptable. The Pakistani side should reconsider its plan. Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan’s security problems. As long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily, that country should tolerate them,” Mujahid added.

Meanwhile, Taliban Defense Minister, Yaqoob Mujahid also called Pakistan’s decision regarding the expulsion of Afghan refugees “inhumane, unfair and barbaric.”

Speaking during the 14th graduation ceremony of the Police Academy on Thursday in Kabul, Yaqboob said that the decision will impact the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Taliban Defense Minister called on Pakistan to stop deportation

Yaqoob called the people of Pakistan, religious scholars and political figures to come forward and stop the forceful deportation of Afghan refugees.

He also called on the United Nations to stop this brutal activity of Pakistani authorities and ensure human rights.

Afghan Interim Government’s Defence Minister, Mullah Yaqub Mujahid

At the same time, Yaqoob called on the Afghan businessmen to stop business in Pakistan and transfer their assets back to Afghanistan.

Amnesty International had already raised concerns over the “arbitrary detentions,” and the deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

According to Amnesty International, these refugees who fled to Pakistan due to fear of persecution by the Taliban, are being subjected to waves of arbitrary detentions, arrests, and the threat of deportation.

Afghan refugees are caught in an impossible situation

“Afghan refugees are caught in an impossible situation, unable to return home or live permanently in Pakistan,” the organization said.

It also called on the Pakistani government to stop the arbitrary arresting and harassing of Afghan refugees.

In light of the Taliban’s assumption of power on 15 August 2021, the UNHCR has issued a non-return advisory for Afghans residing outside their homeland.

Over 3.7 million Afghans are in Pakistan, having fled Afghanistan for both economic and political reasons, with only 1.4 million of them holding formal registrations, according to the UNHCR.

Minister Bugti also announced that all illegal properties and businesses being run by the illegal foreign nationals will be seized after the expiry of the deadline.

Action will be taken against Pakistani nationals working with foreign nationals

Bugti also warned to take legal action against Pakistani nationals as well who are engaged in illegal business activities with these illegal foreign nationals.

Pakistan authorities also said that they have taken this decision to improve the safety of the Pakistani people, where Bugti said that the law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies would launch a crackdown against the people having illegal Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and confiscate properties of the aliens.

“The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has been directed to ensure cancellation of fake CNICs immediately.”

Moreover, Pakistan also alleged that militants using Afghanistan soil to train fighters and plan attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul had strongly denied and called security a domestic issue of Pakistan.