- Talal says that time has strictly enforced our immigration laws.
- Add the repatriation process that is carried out legally and humanly.
- Warns the Pakistani of action against the rental of stores, homes to illegal immigrants.
Islamabad: The Minister of State for the Interior Talal Chaudhry announced on Friday that the final date for the departure of all foreign citizens residing in Pakistan without valid visas is April 30, which reaffirmed the uncompromising position of the Government on the repatriation of undocumented immigrants, especially Afghan nationals.
“Pakistan has shown an unparalleled hospitality for decades, but the time has come to strictly enforce our immigration laws,” the minister said to go to a press conference in Islamabad.
Chaudhry spoke a day before the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, leads a high power delegation for conversations in Kabul.
Afghan citizens who do not have legal documents to stay or those who had Afghan citizen cards had been warned by Islamabad to return home or face before March 31, a deadline that then extended until April 30.
The repatriation campaign is part of a campaign called illegal foreigners repatriation plan, launched at the end of 2023.
The country has been organizing millions of Afghans for about five decades. Hundreds of thousands of them 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 most fatal year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks, almost half of the security forces staff, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies based in Islamabad.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of not stopping militants who take refuge in Afghan soil, a position that the Taliban government denies.
The Taliban government has repeatedly requested the “worthy” return of the Afghan to their country, with Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urging countries that house Afghan not to expel them.
“We welcome our Afghan brothers for 40 years with open hearts. But no country in the world allows anyone to live without a visa, and Pakistan cannot be an exception,” Talal said while talking to journalists today.
Chaudhry shared that 84,869 Afghan have been repatriated since April 1 as part of the current national policy to return to people who reside in Pakistan illegally.
He clarified that the repatriation process is being carried out legally, organized and humanly, and that the Pakistani authorities are working closely with Afghan counterparts to facilitate the transition.
An important part of the government application strategy focuses on those that 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 provinces. If someone gives a store, home or any type of space to an illegal foreigner, they will be responsible under the law,” he said.
In addition, he added that only foreign citizens with valid legal documents are eligible to rent properties, open businesses or search for employment in Pakistan. All treatment, either in mobile or immovable property, must be carried out with legally documented individuals.
“Pakistani citizens are only allowed to work or rent those who have adequate legal status in the country,” he added.
The minister said that Pakistan is looking for a balanced approach that includes diplomatic coordination with the Afghan government.
Chaudhry also gave alarm for credible intelligence, which suggests that some of the millions of weapons left by US forces in Afghanistan have reached the hands of terrorist groups.
“These developments confirm our security concerns. The presence of such weapons in the wrong hands raises a serious threat not only for Pakistan but for the entire region,” he warned.
The minister concluded by reiterating that Pakistan’s policy is not promoted by animosity, but by a commitment to the rule of law, public security and national interest.
