Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated that the March 31 deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghan migrants to leave the country remains unchanged.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan dismissed concerns raised by United Nations agencies over the ongoing deportation process.
“There has been no change in the set deadline,” Khan said, rejecting calls for reconsideration.
The Pakistani government has given undocumented Afghan migrants and ACC holders until March 31 to leave voluntarily. After this date, large-scale deportations will commence under directives from Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.
“We are not obligated to consult the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees),” Khan stated. “Pakistan is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention. Everything we have done for Afghan refugees over the past five decades has been voluntary. Moving forward, Afghans must hold valid Pakistani visas in their passports to stay in the country.”
The Foreign Ministry’s statement follows a request by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, for a phased and dignified return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and other host countries.
Speaking at an Iftar dinner with diplomats in Kabul on Wednesday, which included Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, Muttaqi emphasized the need for a respectful and gradual repatriation process.
“Over the past four decades, millions of Afghans have migrated to various countries, including Pakistan and Iran. Refugees should be treated with dignity, and their return must be orderly and respectful,” Muttaqi said, according to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
Pakistan launched its mass deportation program for undocumented Afghans on November 1, 2023. The Interior Ministry has maintained that Afghan migrants have been given ample time to leave voluntarily before forced removals begin.
Earlier this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a multi-phase plan to expel nearly three million Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan.
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