Pakistan ‘in touch’ with Afghan authorities over return of illegal immigrants

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday asserted that Pakistan was in touch with the interim Afghan government over the deportation of illegal Afghan immigrants as the repatriation plan comes into effect on November 1, ARY News reported.

Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan’s action against illegal foreigners on its soil, including their deportation, was in accordance with the law of the land.

“The implementation of these laws is being carried out for the safety and security of the country,” the FO spokesperson maintained.

Zahra Baloch also noted that Pakistan was in touch with the interim Afghan government over the return of illegal Afghans immigrants as the repatriation plan comes into effect on November 1.

“We explained to them that this policy doesn’t pertain to Afghans immigrants only and extends to all nationalities without valid documents to stay in Pakistan,” she added.

The caretaker federal government set a November 1 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country or else face deportation.

Earlier in the day, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said that the expulsion plan for illegal foreign immigrants has been finalised, adding that holding centres to keep illegal foreign nationals have been setup in all provinces.

Read More: Illegal immigrants’ expulsion plan finalized: Sarfaraz Bugti

Bugti said that the illegal foreign immigrants will not be kept in jails, but temporary camps have been established as holding centres for them.

“Those coming to these holding centres will be kept there and will be provided food and medical facilities,” Sarfaraz Bugti said.

He said, after November 01 no compromise will be made over illegally staying immigrants. “They will not be arrested but sent to the holding centres,” he stated.

Asked if Pakistan intended to appoint a full-fledged ambassador in Afghanistan, FO Spokesperson – in her weekly press briefing today – said that Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani as the current Head of Mission in Kabul would continue to perform his duties in the same position.

On the situation in Gaza, she said Pakistan’s position was consistent demanding an end to cease fire, indiscriminate bombing, and siege of Gaza. Pakistan stands for the establishment of the state of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, she added.

“Our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza are at the receiving end of an inhumane campaign of collective punishment by the Israeli occupation forces. We mourn the over 6500 civilians killed in Gaza including 2700 children as a result of Israel’s relentless and indiscriminate bombardment,” she said.

Baloch said Pakistan looked forward to the outcome of today’s extraordinary emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly after the UN Security Council failed to even call for a cease-fire and put an end to the carnage in Gaza.

She said Pakistan expected from the UNSC a “more responsive and pro-active role” and added that any reforms or expansion needed to be of democratic nature rather than creating new centres of privileges.

To a question on the United States’ decision to put sanctions on Chinese entities for allegedly facilitating Pakistan’s missile system, she said such designations contradicted the U.S. policy of export control waivers granting access to India to advance its capacity, thus undermining the strategic stability of South Asia.

She said the people of Kashmir never accepted the illegal occupation of their land nor the systematic campaign by India to suppress them by force and to turn them into a disempowered minority in their own land.

“Pakistan will continue to provide political, moral, and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they realize their inherent right to self-determination as per the UNSC resolutions,” she said.