KARACHI: The Caretaker Provincial Information Minister of Balochistan, Jan Achakzai, has asserted that Pakistan will not succumb to pressure regarding the expulsion of illegal immigrants from the country.
During a press conference in Karachi, Achakzai stated that while they would investigate any complaints of mistreatment by the police towards refugees, it is clear that immigrants will depart in accordance with the state’s policy, and there will be no yielding to external pressures on this matter.
Pakistan recently imposed a deadline of November 1 for all illegal refugees to sell their properties and exit the country, with deportation as the consequence for those who remain after the deadline expires.
Jan Achakzai emphasized that Pakistan’s historical image as a soft state is undergoing a change. He attributed this transformation to the lack of political will in past governments, which, he argued, had led to various challenges such as smuggling and terrorism.
He further asserted that illegal refugees must adhere to the government-set deadline and leave the country.
Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees since the 1970s, with a significant number of them lacking legal documents. According to Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti, there are approximately 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan without legal documentation, and the total number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is around 4.4 million.
