Action against illegal immigrants not targeting any particular nationality: FO

Pakistan said on Thursday that action taken against illegal immigrants is not targeting any particular nationality and the country is within the parameters of its sovereign domestic laws to take action in this context.

During her weekly news briefing, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan wants to repatriate individuals who have either overstayed their visas or do not have the valid documents to stay, as per Radio Pakistan.

“This operation has nothing to do with the 1.4 million Afghan refugees that Pakistan has been hosting for decades with exemplary generosity and hospitality despite its own constrained economic situation,” she said.

Her statement comes after Taliban administration in Kabul called on Islamabad to reconsider plans to expel illegal Afghan immigrants.

Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on social media platform X that refugees should be “tolerated” by Pakistan.

“The behaviour of Pakistan against Afghan refugees is unacceptable,” he said.

“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.”

Mujahid was responding to Pakistan giving illegal immigrants a deadline to leave by November 1 or face forcible expulsion.

Earlier this week, in a presser, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said Afghan nationals were found involved in recent terrorist attacks in the country including one in Peshawar mosque, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, and Hangu.

“We were attacked from the Afghanistan side and Afghan nationals are involved in the terrorist attacks,” the minister said, while addressing a press conference, after the apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP).

The committee decided to evict illegal immigrants and set November 1 as the deadline for the illegal immigrants to leave the country; otherwise, action will be taken against them.

Pakistan’s national policy on Afghan refugees remains unchanged

Meanwhile, during her presser, FO spokesperson said Pakistan’s national policy on Afghan refugees remains unchanged and their safe and honorable repatriation is a separate matter on “which it continues to engage with Afghanistan to create conducive environment for their safe return”.

The spokesperson also rejected media reports that Pakistan has closed transit trade with Afghanistan.

“Pak-Afghan bilateral trade continues but Pakistan will not accept the misuse of existing trade facilities.”

Any measures taken recently or in future will be in accordance with this understanding, she added.

Security for Pakistan cricket team

The spokesperson also called on India to provide security to the Pakistani team, which is in the neighbouring country for ICC cricket World Cup.

“It is the responsibility of the host country to provide foolproof security and conducive environment to the team,” she said.

Baloch said Pakistan has a clear stance that sports should not be mingled with politics and the Pakistani team is in India, “not for a bilateral series but an international tournament”.

Responding to delay in issuance of visas by India to Pakistanis for the World Cup, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan is in contact with Indian authorities and expects it to immediately grant visas to Pakistani journalists and spectators who wish to attend the matches.