Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said anyone opposing the forced deportation of Afghan migrants is aligning themselves with the country’s enemies.
Writing on the social media platform X, Asif stated: “If any Pakistani opposes the return of these refugees, then they are with the enemies of Pakistan, not with Pakistan. There should be no ambiguity in anyone’s mind.”
Asif alleged that Afghan migrants have shown “disrespect to Pakistan’s land and flag,” and accused some of their relatives of killing Pakistani security personnel. He further claimed that, although many children of Afghan migrants have been born and raised in Pakistan, they “do not wish well for this country.”
He added: “Their homeland (Afghanistan) is the sanctuary of our enemies.”
The remarks come as Islamabad intensifies the second phase of its deportation campaign targeting undocumented Afghan migrants, a move that has drawn criticism from international migration agencies, human rights advocates, and Afghan citizens.
Earlier this month, Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urged authorities to avoid forcibly repatriating Afghan refugees, adding that such measures could be destabilizing.
Despite such calls, the Pakistani government has proceeded with mass arrests and deportations, defending the effort as a matter of national security.
