QUETTA: Balochistan Int­e­rim Minister for Information Jan Achakzai has made it clear that not only illegal Afghan residents but also Iranian and other foreign individuals who are staying unlawfully without proper documents in the country will be repatriated to their respective nations within the provided time frame, before November 1.

During a press conference held on Wednesday, he stated, “This is the final decision regarding the deportation of all illegal foreign nationals. We aim to ensure their honourable return to their home countries by October 31.”

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Mr Achakzai noted that there are approximately 1.3 million illegal Afghan nationals residing throughout the country, with about 300,000 illegal Afghan nationals and other foreign individuals living in Quetta, the majority of whom are Afghan refugees.

In response to a question, he noted that a significant number of Afghan refugees have volunt­a­rily returned to Afghanistan thr­ough the UNHCR program, cro­s­sing via the Chaman border. The Balochistan Information Min­ister mentioned that appro­x­i­ma­tely 1,000 Afghan families have chosen to return to Afghanistan from Balochistan voluntarily.

“Pakistan has hosted over 5m Afghans during the last 40 years and provided all facilities and comfort despite facing financial and other issues,” he said.

He said, “We are sending only those refugees who were living without required legal documents while the refugees registered with UNHCR and having Nadra identification cards will stay in Pakistan till further order.”

He emphasised that the deadline for repatriation is November 1, and beyond that date, legal actions will be taken against those who do not avail themselves of the deadline and will be deported to their respective countries.

Mr Achakzai specified that the measures against illegal immigrants would be carried out in accordance with local and United Nations laws.

Regarding another question, Mr Achakzai stated that the authorities have already collected data on Afghan and other foreign individuals residing illegally in Quetta, and a task force is actively gathering more data from other areas.

He emphasised that the deportation measures would apply not only to illegal Afghan nationals but also to other foreigners, including Iranians, Nigerians, and individuals lacking legal documentation, who are living in Balochistan without proper authorisation.

Mr Achakzai issued a stern warning, stating that the government will take stringent measures against individuals linked to terrorists who attempt to disrupt the rule of law. He emphasised that all necessary arrangements have been made to address such situations. Additionally, he mentioned that the Chief of Army Staff has made it clear that terrorists, their facilitators, and supporters will face full and determined action.

He further highlighted the security situation in Pakistan, noting the country’s struggle against terrorism. He mentioned that Afghan nationals have been found involved in several terrorist incidents.

He pointed out that in the current year, Pakistan has witnessed 20 suicide attacks across the country, including Balochistan, and in 14 out of these 20 attacks, Afghan nationals were found to be involved, which is a matter of serious concern.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023