PNN – In its latest program to repatriate unauthorized foreign nationals, the Pakistani government announced that all Afghan nationals, including Afghan identity card holders, must leave Pakistan or they will be deported.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Pakistani Interior Ministry issued a statement announcing that according to the decision of senior government officials, the process of returning illegal foreign nationals from Pakistan will enter a new stage and now Afghan citizens with Afghan identity cards must also return to their country by March 31.
The statement said: All unauthorized foreigners, including Afghan identity card holders, are advised to voluntarily leave Pakistan before March 31, 2025, failing which their deportation will begin from April 1, 2025.
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The Pakistani government said that it has been a generous host to foreign nationals and continues to fulfill its obligations as a responsible country. It reiterates that those staying in Pakistan must complete all legal formalities and abide by the Constitution of Pakistan.
The Afghan government has condemned the Pakistani government’s deportation of Afghan citizens and accused Pakistani officials of ill-treating and illegally detaining Afghans.
This year, a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman denied allegations of ill-treatment of Afghan refugees, saying ensuring the rights of returning migrants was protected was a real test for Afghan rulers.
Pakistani media reported that as of last month, about 18,000 legal and illegal Afghan citizens had left Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and returned to their country.
Currently, about 25,000 Afghans who migrated to various cities in Pakistan after the fall of Kabul are waiting for transfer to third countries, including the United States, since the summer of 2021. However, after the recent executive order of US President Donald Trump to suspend the process of transferring Afghan citizens to the United States, the situation of these Afghan citizens in Pakistan remains undecided.