Pakistan Denies Taliban's Appeal to Delay Afghan Refugee Deportations

Islamabad, March 17 (NationPress) Pakistan has firmly declined the Afghan Taliban's appeal to prolong the deadline for the deportation of Afghan refugees, emphasizing that it will proceed with its plan to expel all illegal individuals and holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) starting April 1.

In a significant policy shift announced on March 7, the Pakistani administration stated that all Afghan nationals possessing Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) must exit the country or face deportation and will be classified as illegal immigrants after March 31.

The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme (IFRP) has been operational since November 1, 2023. In line with the government's decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leaders have now resolved to also include ACC holders in the repatriation efforts,” declared Pakistan's Ministry of Interior.

“All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are encouraged to leave the country voluntarily prior to March 31, 2025. Following this date, deportations will commence from April 1, 2025,” the statement indicated.

This decision jeopardizes the future of over 800,000 ACC holder Afghan nationals, as Islamabad has dismissed all requests from the Afghan Taliban in Kabul for an extension to the deportation timeline.

Government sources have confirmed that Pakistan has informed the Afghan Taliban that its resolution is final and there will be no leniency. Additionally, the government has already directed relevant authorities and all provinces to prepare for the return of all Afghan refugees.

Since the launch of its repatriation initiative in November 2023, Pakistan has already deported over 800,000 Afghan nationals residing illegally within its borders, having reported approximately 1.7 million illegal residents, the majority being Afghans.

A crackdown on illegal Afghan nationals who refused to return to Afghanistan has been underway. The Afghan Taliban has criticized Pakistan for making a unilateral decision regarding the return of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, urging Islamabad to reconsider its policy. Nonetheless, Pakistan has insisted on continuing its repatriation initiative.

Initially, only undocumented Afghans were targeted for deportation. However, Islamabad has now declared its intention to begin deporting all Afghan nationals, including those with ACCs.

Statistics indicate that there are at least three million Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan. While Pakistan insists on deporting and repatriating Afghans due to their illegal status, it has repeatedly condemned Afghanistan for allegedly supporting anti-Pakistan terrorist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that contribute to instability within Pakistan.

Recent assaults on security forces in Pakistan by terrorists have been associated with Afghanistan. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Afghan nationals were involved in the recent terrorist attack targeting the Bannu cantonment area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Since February 21, the Torkham border has also remained closed due to clashes between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani forces over a dispute regarding a check post the Afghans attempted to construct in the region.

“The Afghan Taliban intentionally instigated the dispute to justify the closure of the Torkham border, as this location is critical for the deportation and repatriation of Afghan nationals,” stated a government source.