As a UNHCR team delayed its visit to district Khyber due to an alleged threat alert, Pakistan has revealed its intention to deport registered Afghan immigrants following the forced repatriation of undocumented immigrants.
Balochistan caretaker minister Jan Achakzai justified the move, stating it was in response to militants using Afghanistan as a base to orchestrate terrorism in Pakistan.
Contrarily, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for the formation of a commission to address the refugee issue, emphasizing that unilateral decisions do not benefit either Pakistan or Afghanistan. During a press conference, the Balochistan caretaker information minister asserted that the deportation campaign would persist even after the upcoming elections in February, as it aligns with the “state’s decision.”
Despite lacking the authority to make policy decisions, the minister asserted that the deportation drive would continue, and any incoming government would be obligated to follow the policy. He attributed the decision to the increased use of Afghan soil by terrorists to target Pakistani security forces.
The minister claimed that six terrorists killed in Zhob last week were Afghan nationals and highlighted the blocking of 100,000 fake Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) in two Balochistan districts. He also mentioned the cooperation of the FIA in locating illegal immigrants, with 80,000 already repatriated from Balochistan.
In Islamabad, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman expressed concern over the handling of the Afghan refugee issue, suggesting the need for a bilateral commission to discuss and resolve the matter between both countries. He emphasized that Afghan refugees would eventually have to leave Pakistan but criticized the current mishandling of the situation. Rehman called for the interim Afghan government’s involvement before repatriating refugees and referred to the Afghan Taliban’s rise to power coinciding with an increase in terror attacks, noting that the Afghan government declared cross-border attacks as not ‘jihad.’
