ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan, there is an ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners, and the government plans to send back registered migrants in addition to deporting undocumented settlers.
Balochistan’s caretaker Minister for Information, Jan Achakzai, made this announcement during a press conference in Karachi. According to Achakzai, 80,000 immigrants from Balochistan have already left Pakistan, and the government intends to repatriate registered refugees as well.
Achakzai emphasized the importance of foreigners living in Pakistan having authentic and valid documents, as hundreds of thousands of them have obtained fake identification cards. He made it clear that the government has not taken responsibility for illegal residents, and the crackdown on illegal migrants will continue.
Regarding Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan, Achakzai acknowledged a recent deterioration in the relationship, noting that it occurred during a period when Pakistan was dealing with various security challenges. He referred to an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district in which six terrorists were killed, all of whom were Afghans.
Achakzai quoted caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who pointed out a significant increase in suicide bombings and terrorist incidents in Pakistan over the past two years since the interim Taliban government took control of Afghanistan. He also raised concerns about the trading of illegal American arms in Afghanistan’s black market, which poses a national security threat. These illegal arms were reportedly used in an attack on a PAF base in Mianwali.
The minister criticized the Afghan government for allowing sanctuaries and terrorist training centers to operate within its territory, asserting that Afghan soil is being used against Pakistan. He highlighted that Pakistan has been hosting Afghans for the past 40 years but is now taking steps to expel them, emphasizing the need for reciprocity from Afghanistan in dealing with illegally residing Pakistanis.
Achakzai underscored Pakistan’s sovereign right to ensure that all migrants living in the country are documented and stated that Pakistan does not require consent from the foreign offices of the migrants’ countries to repatriate them. He mentioned that around 800 people are leaving every other day, and approximately a thousand migrants have been sent back after being taken into custody in Balochistan. He also praised the cooperation of the Sindh government in these actions.
The provincial government is reportedly deporting around 10,000 undocumented Afghans daily through the Chaman border.
Additionally, Achakzai mentioned that 100,000 fake identity cards have been blocked from two regions of Balochistan, and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is actively working to block such cards.
