ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday endorsed the government’s decision to launch a deportation drive against unregistered foreigners in Pakistan, calling them a threat to the country’s security and saying the repatriation process was being carried out in a dignified way.
The government announced in October to expel “illegal migrants,” mostly Afghans, following a string of extremist attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan which were blamed on a proscribed militant network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose leadership is said to be based in Afghanistan.
While the Pakistani authorities did not say they were exclusively targeting Afghans, they maintained there was evidence that Afghan nationals in the country were involved in organized crime and had carried out 14 out of 24 suicide bombings since January this year.
According to the military’s media wing, ISPR, the army chief received a detailed briefing on the overall security situation, including the ongoing counterterrorism operations and deportation of foreigners, during his visit to Peshawar in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
“Illegal foreigners were seriously affecting Pakistan’s security and economy,” he maintained during his visit. “Decision to repatriate them has been taken by the government in the interest of Pakistan. Illegal foreigners are being repatriated to their countries in a humane and dignified manner as per the established norms.”
International rights organizations have criticized the arrests and deportation of Afghan nationals by Pakistani authorities in recent weeks amid harassment complaints by registered refugees.
The army chief praised the people of KP for their “resolute support” to the security force, saying it had resulted in stability in the province and materialization of progress on projects of socio-economic development.
“Nation takes pride and acknowledges the accomplishments of its Armed Forces,” he added. “Pakistan is destined to succeed and Pakistan Army will continue to undertake its selfless and sacred duty of safeguarding every inch of the motherland till last drop of blood.”
He also learned about the socio-economic developments of the country’s erstwhile tribal territories along the northwestern border with Afghanistan that witnessed a lot of volatility in the wake of the post-9/11 international invasion of the region and that have frequently complained about being underdeveloped.
The tribal belt, which acted as a buffer zone separating Pakistan from Afghanistan, was merged with the rest of the KP province in 2018, though it still requires plenty of funds for its development.