US Defence Secretary
ISLAMABAD: The US Department of Defense announced that the US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday.
According to a statement by Pentagon Press Secretary, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin held a phone call with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir. During the conversation, they discussed mutual interests and recent regional developments.
This announcement came shortly after Pakistan set a deadline for the expulsion of all illegal foreign nationals within the country.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Apex Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, in which General Munir was also present. The committee decided to establish November 1 as the deadline for foreign nationals to depart the country.
After this deadline, any illegal foreign nationals found in the country will be deported, and their properties will be confiscated.
Meanwhile, the US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel highlighted Pakistan’s importance as a partner in the resettlement of Afghan refugees.
He said that Pakistan is an important stopover for fleeing Afghan nationals.
Furthermore, the caretaker government set November 1 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country or face deportation.
Sarfaraz Bugti, interior minister announced the formation of a task force to take action against illegal immigrants. He said that Pakistan was one of the few countries that was allowing entry without a passport.
Eviction must be voluntarily, says UN spokesperson
Qaisar Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stated that any refugee return should be voluntary.
Earlier, the government issued an order for all illegal immigrants, including 1.73 million Afghan nationals, to leave the country or face expulsion. This decision followed the revelation that Afghan nationals had carried out 14 out of 24 suicide bombings in the country this year.
Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced a November 1 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily or face forcible expulsion.
Bugti highlighted that 1.73 million Afghan nationals in Pakistan lacked legal documents to stay, with a total of 4.4 million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.
