PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s government has issued an order for all unauthorised Afghan asylum seekers, numbering approximately 1.7 million individuals, to depart the country by November. A surge in militant attacks along their shared border this year has been the main cause of escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan-based operatives of carrying out attacks across the border, allegations that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has denied. But it has heightened dissatisfaction in Islamabad, prompting an announcement of a crackdown on “illegal” migrants on Tuesday.
Last week, an explosion occurred at a mosque in Mastung city, located near the Afghanistan border, claiming the lives of at least 50 people during a religious gathering. Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, did not explicitly mention recent attacks in Balochistan province when he announced the crackdown order concerning “illegal” Afghan individuals on Tuesday.
The right to seek asylum in another country is protected by international law. Pakistan has provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees, especially since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to the UN, approximately 1.3 million Afghans are registered as refugees in Pakistan, while another 880,000 have obtained legal status to remain.
However, Bugti said on Tuesday that there are an additional 1.7 million people in the country “illegally,” likely referring to those who have not yet secured refugee status. He stated that these individuals would need to leave the country by the end of the month, whether voluntarily or through forced deportation.
“If they do not go… then all the law enforcement agencies in the provinces or federal government will be utilised to deport them,” he stated. However, he did not provide specific details on the implementation of such an operation.
Additionally, he unveiled a taskforce with the aim of identifying and seizing private businesses and assets owned by “illegal” Afghan residents in the country. In response, Afghan authorities in Pakistan reported that local authorities had already initiated the process of apprehending Afghans, including those with and without legal status.
The embassy of Afghanistan, in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), confirmed that over 1,000 Afghans had been detained in the past two weeks. Balochistan province, close to Pakistan’s border, has frequently witnessed incidents involving armed groups, including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, and the Islamic State militant group.
Earlier this month, an explosion in the same district left at least 11 individuals wounded, including a prominent Muslim leader. Islamabad’s ultimate objective is for all Afghans in the country to depart, even those with legal status and Pakistani residence cards. The report cited government sources.
Bugti noted that there have been 24 suicide bombings along Pakistan’s border since January, with more than half attributed to militants operating from Afghanistan. He announced stricter regulations for Afghans entering Pakistan starting on November 1st, stating that only individuals with visas and passports would be permitted to enter.
Traditionally, Afghans crossing into Pakistan at land borders have used their national identity cards as travel documents. However, there is currently a significant backlog of Afghans seeking the necessary documents to enter Pakistan, and obtaining visas and passports has become a lengthy process spanning months.
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