Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister, in a meeting with Roza Otunbayeva, the United Nations Special Envoy for Afghanistan, discussed immigrant concerns and emphasized that internal conflicts in neighboring countries should not adversely affect migrants.
He assured that measures are in place to ensure the security of these nations.
However, in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Information Minister Jan Achakzai reported that Islamabad provided the Taliban with a list of individuals to be surrendered to Pakistan.
He accused the Taliban of indecision and insensitivity in responding to Pakistan’s requests to hand over individuals linked to violent incidents in Pakistan.
Bilal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan’s former foreign minister, warned of serious repercussions if it is proven that the Afghan Taliban are facilitating and supporting terrorists operating in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s security concerns have led to a stricter stance on undocumented Afghan immigrants.
On Dec. 2, about 2,600 migrants were sent back to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Rahmanullah, a returning migrant, shared experiences of harassment and extortion in Pakistan.
“They used to harass people. People were not left free. They were making excuses, first they put us in jail, then they beaten us and asked for a card. Even if you had an immigration card, they still took money,” Rahmanullah said.
In recent weeks, more than 400,000 migrants have either voluntarily returned or been forcibly repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan, amid escalating tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban over the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
