Islamabad, April 5 (IANS) Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province has announced that no Afghan refugee will be deported “forcefully” from the area and termed the government’s deportation policy as “faulty.”
This decision comes as authorities in other parts of the country begin operations to expel refugees following a directive from the government.
Pakistan had set a March 31 deadline for refugees, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, to return to their home country, warning that those who remain after the deadline would face forced deportation, local media reported.
Addressing the media on Friday in Islamabad, Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed his government’s resolve against forceful deportation.
“We will not force anyone. However, if someone wants to return to their country voluntarily, then we will make arrangements for that. The federal government’s policy with regard to Afghan refugees is faulty,” said Gandapur.
Criticising the federal government, he further added that Pakistan’s Foreign Office is directing talks with Afghanistan, but the federal policy on Afghan refugees is “fundamentally flawed.”
Meanwhile, the federal government launched a crackdown in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, rounding up 60 Afghan migrants.
In Karachi, the city administration and law enforcement also started the forced repatriation of an estimated 16,138 ACC holders on Friday, and they detained over 150 Afghans, reports the leading Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune.
Pakistan authorities refused to budge despite calls from the international community to extend the deadline. The government had also dismissed concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies regarding the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.
Recently, speaking to the country’s leading daily, Dawn, UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi stated that the UN agency is concerned regarding the government’s directive, as among the Afghan Citizen Cardholders, there might be individuals requiring international protection.
“In that light, we are urging the government (view) their situation through a humanitarian lens. We also call for engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan so that the returns can be dignified and voluntary,” Afridi added.
Earlier this week, the Afghan Taliban government called upon Islamabad not to start the deportation of Afghan nationals.
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, has urged neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Iran, to halt these deportations and allow Afghans to return home voluntarily.
He emphasised the importance of humane treatment for refugees, especially in light of reports of mistreatment of Afghans by border nations, including instances where individuals holding legal visas were also deported, Afghan state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported.
K-P hosts the largest Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, with Peshawar accommodating the highest number. Many refugees have been living in the province for decades, running businesses or working in various sectors.
Pakistan’s deportation policy has come under scrutiny, with several international organisations condemning the act. They have raised concern over the grave risks faced by the refugees upon their return amid uncertainties in Afghanistan.
–IANS
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