Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani met with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to discuss the challenges facing regional peace. Pakistan is experiencing an increase in terror activities, some involving Afghan nationals. Meanwhile, the caretaker government in Pakistan has set a 28-day deadline (November 1) for all illegal immigrants, including Afghan refugees, to leave the country or face forceful expulsion.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that Jilani emphasized the need to address challenges to regional peace and stability through collaborative efforts and collective strategies. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Afghanistan.
The meeting took place in Tibet, China, where the foreign minister was participating in the Third Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation from October 4 to 5.
The decision to ask illegal migrants to leave the country comes in response to an increase in unlawful and terror activities in Pakistan. Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti revealed that Afghan nationals carried out 14 out of the 24 suicide bombings in the country this year. He stated that 1.73 million Afghan nationals in Pakistan lacked legal documents to stay, and a total of 4.4 million Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan.
Rise in Terrorism
Pakistan has hosted a significant number of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979. However, Pakistan has seen a rise in terrorism, particularly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group with safe havens in Afghanistan, which revoked a ceasefire with the Pakistani government late last year.
Recent suicide bombings targeting religious gatherings in Pakistan have resulted in casualties, and some of the suicide bombers were identified as Afghan nationals.
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have been attempting to encourage Afghan refugees to return, despite a significant reduction in aid following the collapse of the US-backed government. They have described Pakistan’s plan to evict Afghan migrants as “unacceptable.”
