Islamabad, April 19 (NationPress) Pakistan has confirmed that the April 30 deadline for Afghan refugees waiting for relocation to a third country will remain unchanged. If their host countries do not facilitate their move by this date, all Afghan refugees will be deported from Pakistan, as reported by local media.

During a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, stressed that no illegal immigrant would be permitted to remain in the country beyond the specified deadline. He also warned that individuals found to be facilitating the unlawful presence of Afghans in any manner would face severe penalties.

Chaudhry indicated that strict measures would be enforced against Pakistani citizens who rent out spaces such as shops, homes, or hotel rooms to Afghan refugees or employ them.

“We have issued explicit directives to all provinces. Anyone who offers a shop, house, or any type of accommodation to an illegal foreigner will be held accountable under the law,” Chaudhry stated.

Previously, the Pakistan government had established a deadline of March 31 for holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) to exit the country. The Minister reported that since April 1, a total of 84,869 Afghan nationals have been repatriated under Pakistan’s deportation policy, according to Pakistan’s leading newspaper, The Express Tribune.

In related news, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is leading a high-level delegation to Kabul on Saturday for a day-long visit aimed at addressing ongoing tensions between the two nations amid security concerns and the forced deportation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.

Moreover, an Afghan delegation led by Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi engaged in discussions with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday in Islamabad.

The discussions aimed to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly regarding the dignified return of Afghan refugees, as reported by the Afghan state-run Bakhtar News Agency.

With the rising tide of returning Afghan migrants from Pakistan, several deported individuals crossing through the Torkham border recently stated that they are left without homes and lack land on which to build one.

“We request that job opportunities be made available for us. We have no homes, no land. All our belongings are left behind. There are no jobs, and no one has created employment for us. Our most pressing need is shelter,” Afghan media outlet TOLO News quoted Mohammad Nabi, a deported migrant from Pakistan.

Numerous deported Afghan migrants have also reported that Pakistani police treated them harshly, extorted money under various pretexts during their transit, and acted aggressively. The forcibly deported Afghan refugees claimed that Pakistani drivers took advantage of their desperation, charging exorbitant transportation fees.

Daad Mohammad, a 58-year-old resident of Kunar province who migrated to Pakistan 45 years ago, recounted how, despite decades of work and settlement, he and his family were abruptly deported, leaving them empty-handed and violating migration principles.

“The Pakistani police raided my house, treated me harshly, and did not allow me to collect my belongings. Our motorcycles, cargo vehicle, and all our possessions were left behind. We barely had time to load our children into the vehicle and escape,” he recalled.