PESHAWAR: Pakistani Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Amir Muqam, discussed bilateral ties with Afghan’s Charge d’Affaires, Sardar Ahmed Khan Shakib, on Friday, saying that his country “deeply valued” its cooperation with Afghanistan in addressing the issue of refugees.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have soured in recent months amid a surge in militant attacks that Pakistan blames on Afghanistan, saying its Taliban rulers were not doing enough to tackle militant groups using its territory to target Pakistan, which they deny.
The Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks against Pakistan security forces in recent months, with daily assaults on army and paramilitary posts and targeted killings of police and government officials.
“Pakistan deeply values its longstanding friendship and cooperation with Afghanistan,” Muqam was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office after his meeting with Shakib in Islamabad.
The Pakistani minister said the people of the two countries had made immense sacrifices, adding that restoring peace was essential for their well-being.
“We encourage Afghanistan to focus on ensuring the welfare and integration of its citizens residing in Pakistan, with an emphasis on their return as a long-term solution,” he said.
The Afghan diplomat thanked Pakistan for extending the deadline of UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for almost 1.5 million Afghan refugees for one year.
Islamabad launched a deportation drive last year against illegal foreigners residing in the country after a spate of suicide bombings which the Pakistan government, without providing evidence, said were carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed them for smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.
A cash-strapped Pakistan navigating record inflation, alongside a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, had also said undocumented migrants had drained its resources for decades.
Until the government initiated the expulsion drive last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees out of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures.
Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.
In October 2023, Pakistan announced phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” with a 30-day deadline for “undocumented” aliens to leave the country or be subject to deportation, putting 1.4 million Afghan refugees at risk. Over 600,000 Afghans have been expelled under this phase.
In phase two, Afghans holding Pakistan-issued Afghan citizenship cards (ACCs) will be expelled while phase three is expected to target those with UNHCR-issued PoR cards.
