- FO spox urges Kabul to act against terrorism.
- Germany asked to take Afghans as promised.
- Terrorist sanctuaries remain major concern: FO.
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan has said that Pakistan alone has the authority to decide who can stay in the country, stressing that undocumented individuals will be repatriated.
“Any people with no documentation should leave. This is what Pakistan is doing and what any other country will be doing, including in Europe and other countries … it is our territory, we decide who stays in,” the FO spokesperson said while addressing a weekly press briefing on Friday.
Thousands of Afghans who were registered as refugees have surged over the border from Pakistan in recent days, with returns escalating despite a weekend earthquake that killed 2,200 people and flattened entire villages in Afghanistan.
It prompted a call by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees: “Given the circumstances, I appeal to the [government of Pakistan] to pause the implementation of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.”
Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than four decades, from the Soviet invasion to the 2021 Taliban takeover. Some refugees were born and raised there, while others have been awaiting relocation to third countries.
However, Islamabad, citing a rise in militant attacks and insurgent campaigns, launched a crackdown in 2023 to evict Afghans. More than 1.2 million Afghans have since been forced to return, including over 443,000 this year alone, according to the United Nations.
The campaign has most recently targeted an estimated 1.3 million refugees holding UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, with a September 1 deadline set for them to leave or face arrest and deportation.
Afghans awaiting relocation to Germany have reported several police raids on guest houses where German authorities have asked them to stay for months on end while their cases are processed.
Addressing the weekly briefing today, the FO spokesperson expressed hope that Germany would fulfil its commitment to take Afghan citizens and underlined that Pakistan and Germany would continue to strengthen ties based on mutual trust and goodwill.
He said the presence of terrorist safe havens, particularly in Afghanistan, remained a serious concern and an obstacle in bilateral relations, urging Kabul to take meaningful action against them.
Shafqat Ali Khan also dismissed allegations of Pakistani involvement in attacks inside Afghanistan, clarifying that security operations by Pakistani forces in border areas were conducted solely against terrorists. He said these operations were based on reliable intelligence and carried out with careful planning.
He further underlined that Pakistan respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and called on Kabul to enhance cooperation in addressing the shared challenge of terrorism. The spokesperson urged the Taliban to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorist activity against Pakistan.
“Terrorist groups are the common enemy of regional peace and stability, and eliminating them requires joint efforts,” Khan stressed.
He noted that diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan continue as normal, with regular contacts maintained at different levels.
The spokesperson also said that Pakistan had dispatched relief goods for victims of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and was ready to provide additional assistance.
