The decision of the Government of Pakistan to repatriate all foreign nationals, who don’t hold valid and legal documents, is justified and based on international best practices. All such illegal migrants and refugees were given sufficient time to go back to their countries or places of their choice in the stipulated time frame. Among the foreign nationals, there is a huge number of refugees who belong to Afghanistan. Apart from millions of legal migrants for decades, there reside a sizable portion of illegal Afghans who don’t hold the needed documents or any permit. In the absence of legal documents, it was not possible to track and trace their activities in various parts of Pakistan. Besides, militancy rises very quickly in some parts of the country with a lot of impetus and frequency. Not that, these illegal migrants were involved in the militancy, however, it became essential to at least differentiate between those living peacefully and those involved in some militant or any other undesired activity.
In the same backdrop, the Government of Pakistan took a principled decision to repatriate the illegal Afghans upon expiry of the given deadline. The decision of the Government is based on law of land and keeping in view the safety and security of Afghan nationals and locals as well. In order to facilitate these illegal migrants, the Government has established over forty-nine transit centers to temporarily house around 1.7 million undocumented Afghans. Besides, control rooms have been set up at the ministry of Interior to monitor the process. The entire process is being monitored and supervised by officers from various departments; police, district administration, intelligence agencies, Nadra, Immigration and PDMA. Besides, adequate security has also been arranged at holding centers where security personnel escort the migrants in buses up to border crossings. The welcoming step is that, instead of keeping them in prisons, they are being housed in these transit centres set up in all provinces and Islamabad. All these illegal migrants, especially women, children and elderly people are being kept at these centres with a lot of respect and are provided with meals and medical facilities.
Unfortunately, rather appreciating this process some elements within Pakistan and key people from Interim Afghan Government (IAG) are criticizing the process. There have been some threatening remarks from some members of IAG of Taliban which is quite disturbing. It is worth mentioning that, there has been a gradual rise of militancy in Pakistan after the Taliban-led Interim Afghan Government took over the control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The key militant organization carrying out militancy in Pakistan is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). As per estimates, more than 6000 TTP militants are stationed in Afghanistan in various hideouts ever since military operations carried out against them in militancy hit areas of KP and former FATA. These the elements were in the control of former Afghan Government under Ashraf Ghani and their militant activities were planned, directed and executed by Indian RAW and Afghan NDS. After August 2021, TTP stepped up its activities against Pakistan from across the Pak-Afghan border. This is happening despite the Taliban Government claims that Afghan soil will not be allowed to be used by any militant organization against any neighboring state. Besides TTP, there have been elements of Daesh and some Baloch separatists who have been using Afghan soil for militancy within Pakistan.
Lately, the spokesman of IAG, Zabiullah Mujahid issued a statement that “the problem of the TTP belongs to Pakistan, not the Afghans. If they (TTP) try to use Afghan soil, we will not allow it. This is an ambiguous statement, contradicting the basic theme of the IAG. No doubt, TTP is an issue of Pakistan, why successive Afghan governments including Taliban-led IAG have been providing them with hide-outs and shelter on Afghan soil. They are still operating against Pakistan from Afghan soil despite very tight control of Taliban IAG all over Afghanistan. Without consent of IAG, there is no chance that TTP or any other anti-Pakistan militant group can operate against Pakistan from Afghan soil.
Indeed, Afghanistan is fraternal brother and Pakistan has no intent to indulge in blame-game with IAG, yet the ground realities cannot be ignored. RFERL reports that arms and ammunition left behind in Afghanistan by the US being used by TTP rejects Kabul’s claims that TTP is not using Afghan soil against Pakistan. Indeed, all activities of TTP are still planned and executed while using Afghan soil. The surge in the militancy in bordering areas of Pakistan all along western borders is a very serious development. The IAG must take serious actions against TTP and all those terrorists, hiding in Afghanistan and using its soil for militancy against Pakistan. On its part, Pakistan has been reiterating the Taliban led IAG for establishing its writ in the country and stopping militant activities of all militant organizations from Afghan soil.
It is worth mentioning that over 3 million Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan for decades. They all are being treated like Pakistani nationals without any discrimination. Indeed, there is no precedence of such a gesture of hospitality and openheartedness anywhere in the world, therefore, Pakistan must be appreciated for accommodating their Afghan brethren for decades and decade, now once the illegal migrants are being repatriated to their homeland, Government of Pakistan is ensuring that there is no indecency and manhandling during the process of repatriation. The IAG and all segments of Pakistani society must appreciate the peaceful and respectable return of the illegal foreign nationals as per the law of land.
views expressed are writer’s own.
