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 says eyeing billions in investments through crypto projects in coming years
- Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman attends Abu Dhabi Bitcoin Conference 2025
- Says Pakistan considers Bitcoin, digital assets “a fundamental pillar of the future financial system“
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman Bilal bin Saqib said this week that Islamabad is eyeing billions in investment through digital assets initiatives and cryptocurrency projects in the coming years, state media reported.
Analysts have said Pakistan’s attempts to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, crack down on money laundering and terror financing, and promote responsible innovation could bring an estimated $25 billion in virtual assets into the tax net.
Pakistan has attempted to bring virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a formal licensing regime in recent months. PVARA this month also granted no objection certificates (NOCs) to global crypto exchanges Binance and HTX.
Speaking during an interview at the Abu Dhabi Bitcoin Conference 2025, Saqib said Pakistan is reforming the unregulated crypto market to transform it into a “transparent and investor-friendly system in line with global standards,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
“He said that interim licenses, mining, tokenization and fintech pilot projects have been launched for major exchanges in Pakistan and billions of dollars are expected to be invested in these projects in the next few years,” Radio Pakistan said in its report.
The PVARA chairman said Pakistan has become the “center of attention” globally due to the significant progress it has achieved in crypto regulation.
Saqib said Islamabad considers Bitcoin and digital assets not only an investment but “a fundamental pillar of the future financial system.”
“He said that Pakistan’s goal is to make youth not consumers but digital creators and architects of the new economy,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s move to formalize digital asset regulation comes amid broader economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund program, with authorities under pressure to strengthen financial controls, improve transparency and manage risks linked to emerging technologies.
While officials have framed the crypto framework as regulation-first rather than promotion-led, analysts say its implementation, particularly enforcement and coordination with the central bank, will be closely watched by international lenders and investors.
