Afghan authorities have prohibited the entry of Pakistani nationals into Kabul without proper documents. Thousands fled Pakistan following the military operation in Waziristan in 2014. According to sources, around 93,000 Pakistani families are registered in Afghanistan. The recent restriction comes 7 months after Islamabad introduced stringent border control measures in a bid to prevent the movement of militants into Pakistan. A great many tribesmen bear the brunt of the policy as they have families on both sides of the border. Banners have been displayed at various points at Turkham reminding Pakistanis of the new decision. Security on Pak-Afghan border has been tightened. Extra contingents of security personnel have also been deployed at various points. The Shinwari tribals have been exempted. They live on both sides of the Durand line and possess temporary cards issued by the Khyber Agency political administration. Others who have fled to Afghanistan will be properly interrogated on suspicions of links to the Taliban. Afghans have long blamed Pakistan for violence by Taliban insurgents in their country. Islamabad has of course denied the allegation.
Afghan policy seems faulted for various reasons. Islamabad has long been at war with Pakistani Taliban who have positive links with the Taliban in Afghanistan. It flies in the face of reason that the Pakistanis who have fled the tribal regions of Pakistan to Kabul have links with the Taliban. They would not have fled to Kabul in such circumstances. The ban on their flight to Kabul can now drive them into the arms of the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. That would add to Islamabad’s problems. On the other hand, Kabul had to do something about illegal immigrants though they seemed to be in the same plight as Syrian refugees.
