Taliban want Pakistan to follow appropriate method for repatriating undocumented Afghans: envoy
Pakistan
Taliban want Pakistan to follow appropriate method for repatriating undocumented Afghans: envoy
(Web Desk) – A senior Afghan diplomat stated on Wednesday that the Islamic Emirate, commonly known as the Taliban administration, does not object to Pakistan’s decision regarding undocumented Afghan refugees, but wants the neighbouring country to employ an appropriate method for their repatriation.
"We do not object to the decision regarding Afghan refugees, but we urge that an appropriate method be employed for their repatriation," said Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir, who serves as the acting consul general at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar, as reported by a private media outlet.
He suggested that Afghan refugees should be granted time to settle their affairs in Pakistan and added, "We have also made arrangements for their return to Afghanistan."
Pakistan’s caretaker government has issued an order for undocumented immigrants, including 1.73 million illegal Afghan refugees, to depart the country by November 1.
Read also: Bugti says deportation drive doesn't target Afghan ethnicity, rules out deadline extension
Pakistan's interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti clarified on Wednesday that Pakistan's deportation drive targeted all undocumented immigrants, regardless of their nationality.
The interior minister’s statement came a week before the November 1 deadline for the expulsion of all illegal residents, including Afghan nationals, from Pakistan.
Bugti also ruled out the possibility of an extension to the deadline, saying there were no current proposals for such an extension.
Bugti, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, emphasised that the government's intent to take action against unauthorised residents had been misconstrued.
The United Nations (UN) has advocated for a voluntary departure of refugees residing in Pakistan and discouraged any coercive measures to force them to leave.
Pakistan has experienced am alarming surge in terrorist incidents since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. The year 2023 has been the deadliest in eight years, with Afghan nationals being identified in attacks on security forces.
The Pakistani government has consistently highlighted the presence of terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) finding refuge in Afghanistan.
According to Afghan envoy Shakir, the Taliban administration has recently issued a decree prohibiting attacks in Pakistan using Afghan soil.
He conveyed the Afghan Defense Ministry's position, accentuating that actions directed at Pakistan should not be considered a form of jehad.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special representative on Afghanistan, has pointed out the escalation of banned TTP's attacks on Pakistan along the borders, with these militants seeking sanctuary within Afghan territory.
In response to Pakistan's repeated calls for action, the interim Afghan authorities took the step of arresting 200 suspected militants involved in attacks against Pakistan, as reported by Voice of America last month, citing Pakistani officials familiar with the situation.
Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his counterpart from the Taliban engaged in discussions during a China-hosted international conference earlier in the month. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing the importance of addressing challenges to regional peace and stability through collaborative efforts and collective strategies.
Shakir, the Afghan consulate official, explained that TTP militants had relocated to Afghanistan during the presidency of Ashraf Ghani, who was supported by the United States from 2014 to 2021 before being ousted by the Taliban. Shakir underlined, "I want to make it clear: Afghanistan will not launch attacks on Pakistan."
