Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister expressed “deep concern and disappointment” to his Pakistani counterpart on Saturday (April 19, 2025) over the compelled deportation of tens of hundreds of Afghans because the begin of April.
Pakistan has launched a strict marketing campaign to evict by the tip of the month greater than 8,00,000 Afghans who’ve had their residence permits cancelled, together with some who have been born in Pakistan or lived there for many years.
Pakistan’s top diplomat, Ishaq Dar, flew to Kabul for a day-long go to on Saturday (April 19, 2025), the place he held discussions with Afghan Taliban officers, together with Prime Minister Hasan Akhund and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“Mr. Muttaqi expressed his deep concern and disappointment over the situation and forced deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesperson Zia Ahmad mentioned on X. “He strongly urged Pakistani authorities to prevent the suppression of the rights of Afghans living there and those coming here,” she added.
Ms. Ahmad added that Dar reassured officers that Afghans “will not be mistreated”.
Afghans in Pakistan have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests, extortion and harassment by authorities as they ramp up their marketing campaign to expel migrants.
Islamabad has mentioned almost 85,000 have already crossed into Afghanistan, with convoys of Afghan households heading to frame crossings every day fearing raids, arrests or separation from members of the family.
On Friday (April 18, 2025), Pakistan’s deputy inside minister Tallal Chaudhry instructed a information convention that “there will not be any sort of leniency and extension in the deadline”.
“When you arrive without any documents, it only deepens the uncertainty of whether you’re involved in narcotics trafficking, supporting terrorism, or committing other crimes,” he added.
Analysts, nonetheless, say it’s a politically motivated technique to put strain on Afghanistan’s Taliban Government over escalating safety issues.
The relationship between the 2 neighbours has soured as assaults in Pakistan’s border areas have soared, following the return of the Taliban authorities in Kabul in 2021.
Last 12 months was the deadliest in Pakistan for a decade, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of permitting militants to take refuge in Afghanistan, from the place they plan assaults.
The Taliban authorities denies the cost.
Second section of deportations
Mr. Chaudhry mentioned on Friday (April 18, 2025) that just about 85,000 Afghans have crossed into Afghanistan because the begin of April, the vast majority of them undocumented.
More than half of them have been kids, in accordance with the United Nations refugee company, getting into a rustic the place women and girls are banned from training after secondary faculty and barred from many sectors of labor.
Afghanistan’s refugees ministry spokesman instructed AFP on Saturday (April 19, 2025) the Taliban authorities had recorded some 71,000 Afghan returnees by means of the 2 foremost border factors with Pakistan between April 1 and 18.
In the primary section of returns in 2023, lots of of hundreds of undocumented Afghans have been compelled throughout the border within the area of some weeks.
In the second section introduced in March, the Pakistan Government cancelled the residence permits of greater than 800,000 Afghans and warned hundreds extra awaiting relocation to different nations to depart by the tip of April.
Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan over the previous a number of many years to flee successive wars, however tensions with the Afghan group have risen as Pakistan’s financial and safety issues have deepened.
The transfer to expel Afghans is broadly supported by Pakistanis.
“They are totally disrespectful towards our country. They have abused us, they have used us. One can’t live in a country if they don’t respect it,” mentioned Ahmad Waleed, standing in his store on Friday (April 18, 2025) in Rawalpindi, close to the capital.
Published – April 19, 2025 11:05 pm IST
