ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Wednesday refuted a claim by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) that the country had suspended its plan to repatriate illegal foreign immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, following a deportation drive launched by the government last year.
The foreign office dismissed the assertion only a day after UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded his three-day visit to Pakistan where he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, among other senior officials.
The UN refugee agency said in a statement Grandi called for the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, a critical identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghans that legalizes their status in the country.
The UN agency said its visiting official expressed appreciation that the repatriation plan for illegal foreigners had been “suspended,” seeking assurances it would remain on hold. When asked about the development, however, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch rejected the claim.
“That’s not true,” she said response. “It may be noted that no such understanding has been given by Pakistan to the UNHCR, including in recent meetings with the High Commissioner for Refugees.”
Baloch added the repatriation program remained in place and was being “implemented in an orderly and phased manner.”
The UN agency said its top official offered to work toward a dialogue over the issue later this year, promising to bring together key stakeholders to develop a package of solutions that could benefit both the Afghan refugees and the host country.
“In the meantime, as Pakistan continues to host some 3 million Afghans, all solutions need to be explored in addition to voluntary repatriation, including third-country resettlement and longer-term solutions within Pakistan,” the UNHCR added.
Meanwhile, the Afghan embassy said in a social media post that Kabul’s acting envoy in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmed Shakeeb, told Grandi in a meeting that refugees from his country were suffering due to a lack of a clear official policy over the issue in Pakistan.
“The Ambassador underscored that Afghan refugees should not be subjected to forced deportation but rather allowed to repatriate with dignity,” the post said, adding that Shakeeb called for the provision of a unified and valid card for all Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government launched its deportation drive in November last year after a spike in suicide bombings which the officials blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing much evidence.
So far, over 620,000 Afghans have been deported to their country.
The government also says Afghans are involved in smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.
A cash-strapped Pakistan navigating record inflation, alongside a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, also said undocumented migrants had remained a drain on its resources for decades.
Pakistan denies UN refugee agency’s claim of suspending repatriation of ‘illegal’ foreign nationals
https://arab.news/n9u3m
Pakistan denies UN refugee agency’s claim of suspending repatriation of ‘illegal’ foreign nationals
- Pakistan has so far deported over 620,000 Afghan nationals after launching a deportation drive last year
- Afghan envoy to Pakistan says the government lacks a clear policy over the issue, making refugees suffer
Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’
- FO denies any link with Israel, says Pakistan has “absolutely no cooperation” on surveillance tools
- Islamabad accuses India of delaying clearance for relief aircraft bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected an Amnesty International report alleging the use of Israeli-made invasive spyware in the country, calling the findings speculative and misleading.
Amnesty’s investigation, published Thursday under the title Intellexa Leaks, cited the case of a Pakistan-based human rights lawyer who reported receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link in 2025. According to Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the link bore signatures consistent with Predator, a spyware product developed by Israeli manufacturer c
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the suggestion that Islamabad had deployed the tool or maintained any technological cooperation with Israel.
“These are all media speculations. These are all rumor-mongering and disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or these kinds of tools. So, I would reject it quite emphatically,” he said at a weekly briefing.
Andrabi also accused India of obstructing humanitarian operations, saying New Delhi delayed flight clearance for a Pakistani relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-affected Sri Lanka.
“The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s relief goods had to wait for 48 hours, in fact more than 48 hours, around 60 hours, while the flight clearance from India was delayed,” he said.
He added that the eventual conditional flight window was too narrow to be workable.
“The partial flight clearance which eventually was given after 48 hours was operationally impractical, time-bound just for a few hours and hence not operable, severely hindering the urgent need for the relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” Andrabi stated.
“Humanitarian assistance is like justice, if it is delayed, it is denied.”
Responding to India’s claim that clearance was granted within four hours, he said Pakistan has documentary proof contradicting New Delhi’s version.
On a separate question about reported delays in the arrival of a Turkish delegation aimed at mediating between Islamabad and Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s initiative but was unaware of the cause of postponement.
“We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet. And I’m not aware of any schedule. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations, discussions,” he said, adding that the delay may be linked to coordination with the Afghan side.
