Tag: Afghanistan

  • Taliban Calls For More Time For Afghans To Leave Pakistan

    Afghanistan’s Taliban government has urged Pakistan to allow undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts swarmed by thousands of returnees fleeing the threat of deportation.

    Islamabad has given 1.7 million Afghans it says are living illegally in the country until November 1 to leave voluntarily or be forcibly removed.

    More than 130,000 people have left Pakistan since the order was given at the start of October, according to border officials in the towns of Torkham and Chaman, creating bottlenecks at either sides of crossings.

    In a statement late Tuesday, Taliban authorities thanked Pakistan and other countries that have hosted millions of Afghans who fled their country during decades of conflict, but “asked them to not forcibly deport Afghans with little notice but to give them time to prepare”.

    Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban government has urged Afghans to return home, but has also condemned Pakistan’s actions, saying nationals are being punished for tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, and calling for people to be given more time to depart.

    Read more: All you need to know about Afghans being sent from Pakistan

  • ‘Show more mercy’: Sanam Saeed calls for Pakistani government to stop deporting Afghan refugees

    ‘Show more mercy’: Sanam Saeed calls for Pakistani government to stop deporting Afghan refugees

    The Pakistani government is set to deport more than 90,000 Afghan refugees by November 1, prompting protests among civil rights activists. Actors, too, are condemning the expulsion. Viral videos show Afghan children in tears as they say goodbye to their friends, expressing sadness over being deported.

    Actress Sanam Saeed has appealed to the government of Pakistan asking that in light of circumstances around the world, Pakistanis must extend their kindness to people seeking shelter in this country.

    “Deporting refugees who seek shelter here will not make our fundamental issues go away. It looks like we are deflecting blame from challenges that the govt or the country overall is facing. At a time like this in the world right now, we need to show more mercy.”

    Veteran actress Nadia Jamil expressed her outrage over a post showing how Afghan children were taken to court and treated as criminals. She shared Osman Khalid Butt’s post and wrote “Statelessness. Their crime is their families Afghan refugee past. Most of them were born here.”

    Columnist Fatima Bhutto shared a video of an Afghan child tearfully saying goodbye to his classmates as he was set to be deported. In the caption she wrote:
    “This is just wrong of Pakistan. It’s inhumane. We must protect the Afghan refugees of this country and allow them a chance to rebuild their lives.”

  • Two dead after container carrying expelled Afghans overturns

    Two dead after container carrying expelled Afghans overturns

    A container carrying Afghan refugees enroute to Afghanistan overturned on G.T. Road near Hattian, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.

    The container was reportedly packed with several Afghans who were being repatriated, as November 1 is the last date for undocumented citizens to leave Pakistan.

    “At least two persons were killed and 14 others sustained severe injuries in the mishap,” rescue sources told ARY news on Sunday.

    The driver allegedly lost control of the container and overturned after colliding with a bridge.

    “The injured have been shifted to hospital for medical attendance,” rescue sources added.

    Previously, the caretaker government had announced that all illegal migrants must leave Pakistan before November 1 or face expulsion. So far, a few operations have been carried out against the undocumented individuals, especially Afghan refugees. Now that the deadline is near, the operations are expected to increase and intensify.

  • ‘We know where they are’ : Sarfraz Bugti finalizes plan for repatriation of illegal immigrants

    ‘We know where they are’ : Sarfraz Bugti finalizes plan for repatriation of illegal immigrants

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has confirmed the completion of the plan to repatriate illegal immigrants in Pakistan.

    With the approaching November 1 deadline, the government is set to relocate these individuals to centers within their respective provinces.

    During a press conference, Minister Bugti assured that families of illegal foreigners, including women and children, would be treated with utmost respect.

    He said that “holding centres” had been formed in the provinces as well as Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan where illegal immigrants will be provided medical facilities and food.

    Bugti said after November 1, arrested persons will be kept in the centers. He also announced that returnees could carry a maximum of Rs50,000 with them.

    He emphasized that there would be no compromise on the issue of the return of foreigners and that those found with fake Computerized National Identity Cards (CNCs) would face consequences.

    Sarfraz Bugti said illegal properties of illegal foreigners including illegal Afghan refugees, will be confiscated, and announced action will also be taken against Pakistanis who provide facilities to the illegal aliens.

    He further said that the state had carried out geo-fencing to identify areas where illegal immigrants were residing. “We know where they are. They are in villages, in Pakistan’s metropolitan cities, in different small cities. The government has complete know-how about where they are.”

    “We are encouraging voluntary return so that they can be saved from being manhandled and arrested,” Bugti said. “I assure you that once our investigation is complete, anybody involved in this illegal work will be punished.”

    The first flight of illegal Afghan refugees to Britain for resettlement will begin today (Thursday).

    The first chartered flight carrying 230 Afghan refugees will depart from Islamabad to the UK.

    In this regard, arrangements have been completed at Islamabad International Airport.

  • First flight carrying asylum-seeking Afghans departs from Islamabad to UK today

    The first flight carrying asylum-seeking Afghans will depart from Islamabad International Airport for the United Kingdom on Thursday.

    200 Afghan refugees are reportedly going to fly out today.

    The Independent has reported that around 3,000 Afghans, many of whom worked for the British army, are to be given UK residency after the Afghan Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021.

    For the time being, the UK has accommodated them in Pakistan since 2022, whereas hundreds have been stuck and await their turn to get relocated.

    The Independent wrote that in “A U-turn of government policy, ministers have pledged that all Afghans eligible for the UK’s resettlement schemes will no longer have to wait for accommodation to be confirmed before coming to Britain”.

    This u-turn was taken after Pakistan gave an ultimatum to all undocumented foreign nationals to leave by November 1 after which they will be deported.

    A British High Commission delegation met senior officials from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Tuesday.

    According to the senior CAA official, around 2,000 Afghan refugees will be repatriated by mid-December through one or two weekly chartered flights from Islamabad to the UK.

  • 62,079 undocumented Afghans repatriated so far

    62,079 undocumented Afghans repatriated so far

    Many illegal Afghan citizens living in Pakistan are heading back to their homeland by October 31.

    So far, 62,079 undocumented Afghans have been repatriated.

    On October 22 alone, 2518 Afghans went back to Afghanistan.

    Among these 2518 Afghan citizens were 522 men, 218 women and 1778 children.

    Pakistan has accelerated the process of sending back illegal Afghans. As per reports, Afghans in Peshawar, Khyber and other areas have started selling their properties.

    Operations to arrest and deport illegal citizens have been under way.

    On October 4, the caretaker government set November 1 as the deadline for illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan, warning that action will be taken against them after the deadline. The decision was taken during an apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) at the Prime Minister’s House.

    “We have given them [foreigners residing in Pakistan unlawfully] a deadline of November 1 to willingly return to their countries and if they don’t, all law enforcement agencies (LEAs) of the state and provinces will deport them,” Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti had stated at a press conference.

  • Five-member committee to probe fake passport case

    Five-member committee to probe fake passport case

    The interior ministry has constituted a five-member committee to extensively probe cases pertaining to the issuance of over 12,000 fake passports to Afghan nationals.

    The ministry issued a notification stating that the Director General of Immigration and Passports (IMPASS) will be the convener, whereas Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deputy secretary, a representative of National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) and assistant director of IMPASS headquarters will be members of the committee. 

    The committee will investigate lapses in the issuance of passports, determining the connivance of various institutions to facilitate the departure of fake passport holders from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, to determine the responsibility of various officers in NADRA, IMPASS and FIA in the process and suggest remedial measures to curb the menace in the future.

    The report is expected to be submitted to authorities within 15 days.

    On October 14, 12,000 fake Pakistani passports were retrieved from Afghan nationals in Saudi Arabia.

    The law enforcement agencies initiate a crackdown against people and groups involved in the issuance of fake citizen documents to illegal immigrants.

    The Pakistani embassy in Riyadh was informed of the passports by Saudi authorities.

  • Pakistan to send humanitarian aid to Gaza

    Pakistan to send humanitarian aid to Gaza

    Pakistan has announced it will send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

    In the light of severe dearth of food, water and healthcare, about 2.3 million Palestinians are struggling to survive. The spokesperson of the Foreign Office has thus stated that aid will be sent to the Palestinians.

    “In the wake of indiscriminate Israeli aggression and siege of the Gaza Strip, the already oppressed people of the densely populated Gaza are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,”, the statement read.

    Pakistan is currently contacting the Egyptian government, the Red Crescent and the relevant agencies of the United Nations. Moreover, Pakistani missions abroad are also being contacted to finalise the delivery of aid.

    On Monday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jalil Abbas Jilani spoke to his counterparts in Iran and Egypt and discussed the current atrocities being committed against Palestine.

    The spokesman said that the oppressed people of Gaza are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

    However, how or if Pakistan would be able to send aid remains unclear as Israel has prevented other regional countries from sending aid. This includes Gaza’s neighbour Egypt whose borders meet the strip. It was proposed that Egypt would send relief goods through Rafah Crossing in exchange for allowing Americans and other foreigners to leave Gaza but Israel has not yet agreed to it.

  • 12,000 fake passports recovered from Afghans in Saudi Arabia

    12,000 fake passports recovered from Afghans in Saudi Arabia

    The staggering number of 12,000 Pakistani passports have been found in the possession of Afghan nationals in Saudi Arabia, media reports have confirmed.

    The discovery comes as law enforcement agencies initiate a crackdown against people and groups involved in the issuance of fake citizen documents to illegal immigrants.

    According to reports by Geo News, the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh was informed of the passports by Saudi authorities.

    An investigation into the matter has been initiated by Director General Immigration and Passports Directorate Mustafa Kazi and the Federal Investigation Agency.

    The prime suspect, Umar Javed, has been arrested in Lahore for making fake passports.

    Earlier, a former officer and a serving grade-15 officer of the Passport Directorate were arrested and probed in regards to the issuance of fake documents.

    As reported by Azaz Syed on Geo news, an interior ministry official has asserted that a detailed investigation is underway and NADRA data is also being counterchecked.

  • ‘No compromise after November 1’, Interior Minister tells Afghan immigrants

    ‘No compromise after November 1’, Interior Minister tells Afghan immigrants

    In a recent statement, the Interim Federal Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has categorically stated that all illegal immigrants are to leave Pakistan before November 1. “There will be no compromise after that,” he remarked.

    He further said that it is the unanimous decision of all the stake-holders that Afghans should be given a grace period even though many of them are volunteering to leave. However, anybody who wants to leave must do that before the deadline.

    The policy is apparently for all illegal residents and is not targeted against Afghans.

    He clearly stated that illegal residents are those who do not own a visa. “Irrespective of their nationality, we are only going to send those back after the deadline,” he said.