QUETTA: Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to expedite the deportation of Afghans living in the country illegally, officials said.
Nearly 300,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in recent weeks since authorities started arresting and deporting foreign nationals without papers after the Oct. 31 deadline for migrants without legal status to leave the country voluntarily.
The expulsions mostly affect Afghans, who make up the majority of foreigners in Pakistan. It has drawn criticism from the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan as well as human rights organizations.
The number of border crossings used to deport thousands of Afghans rose to five after the new facilities were opened in southwestern Baluchistan province, said Jan Achakzai, the caretaker provincial information minister.
Currently, about 15,000 Afghans have been crossing the border every day from Pakistan. Before the crackdown, around 300 people were crossing each day.
International aid agencies have documented chaotic and desperate scenes among Afghans who have returned from Pakistan.
Achakzai said police in Baluchistan in recent days had arrested more than 1,500 Afghans who had no valid documents.
A prominent Pakistani human rights lawyer, Moniza Kakar, said in the southern port city of Karachi that police had launched midnight raids on homes and detained Afghan families, including women and children.
The head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Hina Jilani, said Pakistan lacks a comprehensive mechanism to handle refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants without papers, despite hosting Afghans for 40 years.
Violence against Pakistani security forces and civilians has surged since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan two years ago. Most attacks have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a separate militant group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan often accuse the Taliban of harboring militants from groups like the TTP — allegations the Taliban deny — and said Afghans without permanent legal status are responsible for some of the attacks.
Pakistan has long hosted millions of Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation. More than half a million fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.
Pakistan opens 3 new border crossings to deport Afghans in ongoing crackdown on migrants
https://arab.news/pkawv
Pakistan opens 3 new border crossings to deport Afghans in ongoing crackdown on migrants
- Nearly 300,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in recent weeks since Pakistan widened crackdown against illegal immigrants
- Number of border crossings used to deport Afghans have now risen to five, says Balochistan government official
UAE-Pakistan trade pact in ‘final stage of signing,’ envoy says in address to Lahore chamber
- UAE ambassador tells business leaders Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement near signing
- Chamber cites $7.8 billion remittances from UAE in 2024, urges broader cooperation beyond petroleum trade
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday quoted the UAE’s ambassador as saying the Emirates and Pakistan were in the “final stage” of signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to enhance trade and remove obstacles.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close economic ties, with the Gulf state serving as one of Islamabad’s largest trading partners and a major source of remittances. Trade between the two countries currently stands at around $8–10 billion, according to figures from the LCCI, while millions of Pakistanis live and work in the UAE. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a broad trade framework aimed at reducing tariffs, easing market access and strengthening investment flows, would formalize and potentially deepen those ties.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber, UAE Ambassador Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi said the CEPA would help remove business obstacles and deepen economic ties between the two countries.
“Pakistan and the UAE are at the final stage of signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which would significantly boost bilateral trade and remove business obstacles between the two countries,” Al Zaabi was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Lahore Chamber.
He added that the existing trade volume of around $8–10 billion did not reflect the full potential of the relationship and his government had a “clear directive” to double the figure as soon as possible.
Al Zaabi said the UAE was expanding investments in Pakistan in sectors including infrastructure, ports, aviation, agriculture, minerals and railways.
He said discussions with Pakistan’s Railway Ministry were progressing and that new agreements related to supply chain connectivity from northern regions to Karachi, including the possibility of a dry port, would be announced soon. He added that the Joint Business Council between the two countries was being activated and efforts were underway to convene its meeting to enhance institutional cooperation.
The UAE ambassador also outlined steps being taken to streamline visa procedures and improve skilled labor mobility.
Referring to the visa process, Al Zaabi said both countries were working to streamline procedures through digital systems and appreciated the efforts of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, according to the LCCI statement. He said discussions were underway with the Punjab Skilled Labor Authority to enhance cooperation in skilled workforce mobility.
He added that he was “personally working at operational and technical levels to ensure that all signed agreements, including CEPA and other trade frameworks, are fully implemented.”
The envoy said the UAE was rapidly shifting toward an artificial intelligence-driven and digitized economy, with nearly 99 percent of government services available online.
Highlighting his country’s focus on information technology, digital banking and innovation, the ambassador invited the Lahore Chamber to share a comprehensive document outlining challenges and investment opportunities. He said the UAE Embassy would consider recommendations from the business community and extend facilitation to investors from both sides, adding that special consideration would be given to visa recommendations forwarded by the Chamber for genuine business cases.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the Pakistani community to the UAE’s development, particularly in aviation and finance, and noted that the UAE economy had diversified, reducing oil dependence to below 25 percent.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol described the UAE as one of Pakistan’s most important trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances.
He said remittances from the UAE reached $7.8 billion in 2024, while Pakistan’s exports to the UAE stood at $2.1 billion in the 2024–25 fiscal year. Imports from the UAE were around $8 billion, largely consisting of petroleum products, according to the Chamber’s statement.
The figures highlight a persistent trade imbalance, with Pakistan importing significantly more from the UAE than it exports, even as millions of Pakistani workers live and work in the Gulf state.
Saigol said there was “vast untapped potential” for cooperation in renewable energy, agriculture and food processing, information technology, logistics, construction, tourism, health care and mining. He proposed establishing dedicated display centers for Pakistani products in the UAE, leveraging the country’s role as a global re-export hub, and called for stronger engagement through trade delegations, business-to-business meetings and joint ventures.
