- Talal says that time has strictly apply our immigration laws.
- Add the process of repatriation carried out in a legal and human way.
- Warns the Pakistanis of action against the rental of stores, houses to illegal immigrants.
Islamabad: Minister of State in the Interior Talal Chaudhry announced on Friday that the final date for the departure of all foreign nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas is April 30, reaffirming the government without compromise of the government on the repatriation of undocumented immigrants, in particular Afghan nationals.
“Pakistan has shown unequaled hospitality for decades, but the time has come to strictly respect our immigration laws,” the minister said at a press conference in Islamabad.
Chaudhry spoke a day before the Darrier Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, heads a delegation of high power for talks in Kabul.
Afghan nationals who do not have legal documents to stay or those who hold Afghan citizen cards had been warned by Islamabad to return home or to face the expulsion by March 31, a deadline which was then extended until April 30.
The repatriation campaign is part of a campaign called the repatriation plan for illegal foreigners, launched at the end of 2023.
The country has welcomed millions of Afghans for about five decades. Hundreds of thousands of them have returned to their country in recent years, but more than 2.1 million still live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other provinces.
Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks – almost half of them of the security forces – according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, based in Islamabad.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of not having eliminated the militants of the shelter on Afghan soil, an accusation that the Taliban government denies.
The Taliban government has repeatedly called upon the return “worthy” of Afghans to their country, Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urging the countries that welcome Afghans not to force them.
“We welcomed our Afghan brothers for 40 years with open hearts. But no country in the world allows anyone to live without a visa, and Pakistan can not be an exception,” Talal said to journalists today.
Chaudhry shared that 84,869 Afghan nationals have been repatriated since April 1 as part of the current national policy to illegally return individuals living in Pakistan.
He said that the repatriation process is in progress in a legal, organized and human way, and that the Pakistani authorities work in close collaboration with Afghan counterparts to facilitate the transition.
An important part of the government’s application strategy focuses on those who provide accommodation, employment or services to undocumented foreigners.
Chaudhry revealed that strict measures will be taken against Pakistani citizens who rent stores, houses or hotel rooms to illegal immigrants or hire them for jobs.
“We have communicated clear instructions to all the provinces. If someone gives a store, a house or any type of space to an illegal foreigner, he will be held responsible under the law,” he said.
He also added that only foreign nationals with valid legal documents are eligible for renting goods, opening businesses or looking for a job in Pakistan. All transactions, whether in movable or real estate, must be made with legally documented individuals.
“Pakistani citizens are not allowed to work with those who have an appropriate legal status in the country,” he added.
The minister assured that Pakistan is pursuing a balanced approach which includes diplomatic coordination with the Afghan government.
Chaudhry also took the alarm on credible information suggesting that some of the millions of weapons left by American forces in Afghanistan have made their way in the hands of terrorist groups.
“These developments confirm our security problems. The presence of such weapons in bad hands is a serious threat not only for Pakistan, but for the whole region,” he warned.
The Minister concluded by reiterating that Pakistan policy is not motivated by animosity, but by a commitment to the rule of law, public security and national interest.
