Shillong, October 6: The Pakistani government has commenced the eviction process for illegal Afghan nationals in line with its recent announcement of a November 1, 2023 deadline for all unauthorized immigrants to exit the country or face arrest and deportation.
As per IANS, law enforcement authorities have initiated operations in various Afghan refugee camps and locations accommodating Afghan nationals, detaining numerous families lacking legal documentation to substantiate their status in Pakistan.
Additionally, authorities have begun dismantling makeshift Afghan refugee camps in Islamabad and other major cities, leaving Afghans with no alternative but to gather their belongings and head toward the Torkham border for potential entry into Afghanistan.
On Thursday, at least 16 trucks carrying a minimum of 20 families arrived at the Torkham border, with approximately 40 more families reaching the border on Friday.
An official stated, “After completing the necessary legal requirements, these families, totaling around 1,000 people, will be allowed to enter Afghanistan. These residents come from an Afghan refugee camp near Margalla Town in Islamabad, which was demolished by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the federal government’s instructions.”
So far, at least 503 Afghan refugees have been incarcerated due to their inability to provide legal documents confirming their identity and status in the country.
A police official in Islamabad explained, “Out of the 1,126 individuals checked in various operations, 623 were released upon presenting valid identification documents. However, 503 were detained and presented before different courts under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. Following October 31, a crackdown against all illegal residents will commence.”
The decision by Pakistan to crack down on illegal immigrants has raised objections from the Afghan Taliban regime, which has deemed it “unacceptable.”
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid expressed concerns about Pakistan’s expulsion plan for at least 1.7 million unregistered Afghan immigrants, urging Pakistan to reconsider its decision.
He stated, “The behavior of Pakistan toward Afghan refugees is unacceptable. The Pakistani side should reconsider its plan. Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan’s security problems. As long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily, that country should tolerate them.”
Sources indicate that although the Afghan Taliban is unhappy with Islamabad’s decision, there is mutual agreement between both sides that any Afghan without legal documents to reside in Pakistan should be returned to their home country.
Experts suggest that the Afghan Taliban has been taken by surprise by Pakistan’s actions, given the lack of a positive response from Kabul regarding the presence and movements of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants across the border.
Senior political analyst Kamran Yousaf noted, “Pakistan has not been satisfied with the verbal commitments of the Afghan Taliban government, as TTP militant infiltration has been attempted and is ongoing from the Afghan side. With the Pakistan Army overseeing proceedings in the country, the threat of expelling over 1.7 million Afghans in Pakistan, restrictions on trade and items through the Torkham border, a single-document policy between the two countries, and a substantial crackdown on illegal money laundering through Hawala and Hundi from Pakistan to Afghanistan have severely impacted the Kabul administration”.