As the deportation of undocumented immigrants from Pakistan continues, Mohammad Tahir Mahmoudi, the head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, the country’s religious scholars’ council, has accused Afghan migrants of “involvement in terrorist attacks” within Pakistan.
Mahmoudi supported the Pakistani government’s decision to deport undocumented Afghan immigrants, asserting that it was the right move.
He mentioned Pakistan’s relationship with the Afghan Taliban, noting ongoing discussions between a delegation from the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani authorities.
“Pakistan has a relationship with the Afghan Taliban, and currently, a delegation from the Afghan Taliban group is talking to the Pakistani authorities,” he said.
However, Afghan immigrants in Pakistan express challenges in swiftly relocating all their belongings.
Abdullah, an Afghan immigrant, emphasized their ties to Pakistan and requested an extension of the deportation deadline to allow them to manage their affairs.
“We were born here. All our work and business were here. Our friends and relatives are in Pakistan. They cannot forcibly evict us. We want the Pakistani government to extend this deadline for a few more years. We have to collect our transactions from here,” said Abdullah, an Afghan immigrant in Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities reported on Monday that over 400,000 Afghan migrants have been repatriated to Afghanistan as part of the ongoing deportation efforts, marking the twentieth day of expulsions.
Mir Ahmad Raufi, head of the Council of Immigrants in Pakistan, urged authorities to address the concerns of immigrants facing this challenging situation and emphasized the need for practical steps to ensure their well-being.
“Mostly, this issue has not been clarified so far. We hope that they will listen and understand and not call out like us,” said Raufi.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar accused the Taliban of supporting and sheltering the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban.
The Taliban’s ministry of refugees announced on Monday that 2,300 Afghan individuals returned to the country from Pakistan on Sunday, Nov. 19, a slight decrease from the over 2,900 people who returned on Nov. 18.
According to a World Health Organization report on Sunday, Nov. 19, from September 15th to November 11th, 327,000 migrants entered Afghanistan from Pakistan.
