According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Afghan refugees' repatriation second phase will be kicked off by Pakistan. He underscored that the United Nations, along with the whole international community, has to play a very key role in their rehabilitation process.
Naqvi made the announcement while receiving a UN delegation, led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Indrika Ratwatte, on Wednesday. He said Pakistan had a long history of hosting Afghan refugees and the repatriation process of undocumented individuals had already begun.
The Interior Minister hosted the UN delegation at the Interior Ministry and expressed that the second phase of the repatriation process is soon going to commence, the Interior Ministry stated.
First repatriation process, which started last November, was directed against what Pakistan termed as "undocumented aliens" following a series of suicide attacks it blamed on Afghans. The government in Islamabad also accused them of smuggling, militancy, and other crimes. As many as 500,000 Afghans were believed to have been repatriated in that phase.
The second phase will involve Afghans with Afghan Citizen Cards, while another phase is foreseen to cover the holders of Proof of Registration cards issued by the UNHCR, according to the report in Dawn newspaper.
Naqvi once again reiterated the participation of UN and the international community in the process of rehabilitation of refugees. He said that no action is being taken against those who have valid legal documents, but it cannot let people stay without proper visas or documents of recognition in the country. He termed terrorism as a global issue and shared that Pakistan was one of the worst sufferers.
The minister also apprised the UN delegation on the terrorist attacks conducted by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan into Pakistan, underlining that this entity is operationally working from Afghani territory and called for action to be taken to prevent this.
Pakistan remains committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan and is offering all possible assistance towards this end.
Ratwatte said that the UN was actively working in coordination with the Afghan government to ensure permanent rehabilitation of Afghan refugees. He condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan by the Balochistan Liberation Army, killing 70 persons including 37 security personnel and civilians.
The UNHCR reports the number of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan at 2.18 million. In July, the Foreign Office informed that approximately 44,000 Afghans cleared for resettlement to Western countries since the Taliban's return to power were still stranded in Pakistan. The Foreign Office called on those nations to accelerate the resettlement process.
Afghans are the single largest contingent of immigrants in Pakistan, although many have arrived more recently, following the Taliban's assumption of power over Kabul in 2021. However, many had been in the country since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979.
In October 2023, the government of Pakistan implemented the first phase of the "Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan," which called for a 30-day ultimatum to be given to undocumented aliens to leave the country or be dealt with according to the law.
Read also | US Reports Increase in Illnesses and Deaths from Listeria Outbreak
Read also | Pakistan Invites PM Modi to SCO Summit in Islamabad, Foreign Office Confirms
