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• Embassy claimed Afghan nationals being arrested, forced to relocate from capital
• Taliban regime told to ensure returning citizens’ integration into society
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Wednesday urged the Taliban authorities to create conditions that ensure the rights of Afghan nationals being sent back from Pakistan and their integration into Afghan society as it rejected Kabul’s allegations about mistreatment of Afghan nationals in Pakistan.
FO spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan, in a rejoinder to a statement issued by the Afghan Embassy, dismissed the allegations as misplaced and emphasised Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate the return of undocumented Afghans.
“Assertions regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced,” Mr Khan said. “As regards aliens, we started the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan in 2023 and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one is mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.”
He emphasised that Pakistan had “extensively engaged the Afghan side to ensure smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals” and called on the Taliban government to create a conducive environment for their reintegration.
“While Pakistan has done what it could, we expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan so that these returnees are fully integrated into Afghan society,” Mr Khan said, adding that the real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that the rights of these people, about whom the Afghan Charge d’Affaires spoke, were protected in Afghanistan.
The embassy had earlier alleged that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi had been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders to relocate to other parts of Pakistan. The statement also claimed that the Pakistani government had not officially communicated its actions to the embassy.
“Unfortunately, Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have recently been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan,” the Embassy stated. “This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence.”
The embassy further claimed that discussions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that the organisation was unaware of the alleged actions. It also said that Pakistani authorities had confirmed a “definitive and final plan” to deport all Afghan refugees, including those holding Afghan Citizen Cards and Proof of Registration cards.
The dispute comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to repatriate undocumented foreigners. Since the initiative began in November 2023, more than 815,000 individuals have been repatriated. Pakistan is home to over 2.5 million Afghan refugees, about half of whom are registered with the UNHCR. Those registered earlier have been granted an extension to stay until June 2025.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office outlined a three-phase plan to repatriate Afghan citizens, setting March 31 as the deadline to expel them from Islamabad and Rawalpindi in preparation for their deportation.
Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, approximately 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan, with many seeking resettlement in third countries, including the United States. While 80,000 Afghans have been resettled, more than 40,000 remain in limbo. A significant portion of those awaiting relocation — about 25,000 — had been expected to be resettled in the US. However, US President Donald Trump’s suspension of the resettlement plan has left roughly 20,000 Afghans uncertain about their future in Pakistan.
Reports also suggest that The Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, which oversees Afghan resettlement in the US, has been instructed to develop plans for closure by April, practically ending hopes for those awaiting resettlement.
Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025
