No further extensions, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ruled out any further extension for Afghan refugees residing “illegally” in Pakistan, ordering provincial governments and relevant authorities to ensure their “speedy and dignified” repatriation.

Chairing a high-level meeting on the issue, Shehbaz said Pakistan had been “bearing the burden for quite a long time” and “those without valid visas will have to return home”.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, chief ministers of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab, and representatives of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was represented by Muzzammil Aslam after KP CM Sohail Afridi apologized.

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“The brave people of Pakistan, who have sacrificed their loved ones in the war against terrorism, are now wondering how long will we continue to bear this burden? Shehbaz said.

Expressing concern over increasing terrorist incidents linked to Afghan nationals, the Prime Minister noted that Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghans for decades despite its own challenges. “It is alarming that attacks on Pakistan are being launched from Afghan soil and that Afghans are involved in such incidents. »

The meeting was informed that the phased repatriation process had started and 1.47 million Afghan nationals had been returned as of October 16. The forum decided that no additional grace period would be granted to undocumented Afghans.

The Prime Minister ordered federal and provincial institutions to “work in close coordination” to complete the process without delay. “Only Afghans holding valid visas will be allowed to stay in Pakistan.”

He asked relevant authorities to ensure that the elderly, women, children and minorities are treated with dignity during the repatriation process. “We will not allow any mistreatment, but the law will take its course. »

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Shehbaz said Pakistani leaders – including the deputy prime minister, foreign minister and defense minister – had repeatedly engaged with the Afghan interim government in Kabul to ensure that Afghan territory was not used for terrorist purposes, but growing public frustration made the issue urgent.

The meeting was also briefed on the expansion of exit points along the Afghan border to facilitate smoother and faster repatriation. It was highlighted that housing illegal Afghan residents or allowing them to stay in guest houses was a legal offense.

The Prime Minister praised the armed forces for responding “with full force” to recent cross-border attacks from Afghanistan.

“Under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army repelled these attacks and proved, as it always has, that our forces know how to defend the homeland,” he said.

The participants, including provincial and regional leaders, hailed Pakistan’s “diplomatic success” and praised the role of the prime minister and the army chief in coordinating national efforts on the issue.

The meeting ended with a unanimous decision to strictly implement all recommendations regarding the repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals.

Heated borders

At the same time, the Foreign Ministry said that the current Afghan Taliban regime is not representative of the Afghan people. “There is currently no formal government in Kabul and one group holds power by force,” the FO spokesperson said.

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Tensions escalated on the night of October 11-12, when Afghan Taliban forces, supported by “Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij elements”, launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan along the border, according to the military’s media wing.

“This cowardly action, which included shooting and some physical raids, aimed to destabilize border areas to facilitate terrorism, thereby furthering the nefarious designs of the FAK,” Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Security forces, exercising their right of self-defence, decisively repelled the assaults along the border and inflicted heavy losses on Taliban forces and affiliated Khawarij terrorists, the ISPR said.

On October 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following Pakistan’s “precision strikes” against the Taliban and terrorist hideouts in Kandahar and Kabul.

According to the ministry, the decision was taken at the request of the Taliban and with the mutual consent of both parties. During the ceasefire, the two sides will maintain constructive dialogue to make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to a complex but solvable issue, the ministry said.

“This temporary pause aims to create space for meaningful discussions and promote stability along the border,” the ministry said in a statement.