THE fight against terrorism has yet not come to an end in Pakistan; particularly in the month of October and November a very shocking increase has been noticed in the number of attacks on Pakistan’s security forces. Experts are connecting this recent increase with some specific security measures taken by the government of Pakistan; decision of sending back all illegal immigrants to their respective countries is also one of those measures; a large number of such illegal immigrants include immigrants from Afghanistan. Specifically speaking of the Afghan refugees, more than three decades back, Pakistan provided a shelter to millions from the war-stricken Afghanistan simply on humanitarian grounds. Providing shelter to the refugees from some war-stricken area is neither an illegal nor an uncommon act; all over the world it happens so many a time but the case with the Afghan refugees is somewhat different. Under the garb of the Afghan refugees, countless illegal immigrants from other countries also succeeded in seeking shelter in Pakistan. These illegal immigrants included a large number of criminals and terrorists too. These illegal immigrants created a lot of law and order problems for Pakistan. Moreover they added a lot to the financial burden which the government of Pakistan has already been facing since long because of them.
An official report issued by the Pakistani authorities says that, at present, there are more than four million Afghan migrants and refugees in Pakistan; about 1.7 million of them are staying here undocumented. A huge addition to the total number of Afghan immigrants already living in Pakistan was noticed in 2021 when the Taliban took over the country; this number mounts to more than 600,000. Certainly such a large number is proving a huge burden on Pakistan’s already shattering economy. When the warlike situation ended in Afghanistan a few years back and the Taliban took over control of the country, it was being expected that most of the refugees would love going back to their homeland because there were no more any foreign forces ruling over their country but situation proved altogether otherwise; none of the Afghan refugees desired to go back home, though now things are far better there under the Taliban control. It is because of that peace and prosperity in Afghanistan that today the Afghanistan Cricket Team has become a challenge to many of the recognized and well-placed cricket teams of the world. Keeping in view all these pros and cons, the Government of Pakistan chalked out a plan of sending back the Afghan refugees but initially expulsion of only the illegal immigrants was focused.
In the first week of October 2023, in a meeting of the Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, it was decided that no illegal Afghan immigrant would be allowed to stay anymore in Pakistan after 30th October 2023. After that date they would be forcibly deported to Afghanistan by the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. It was a very high-profiled meeting and was attended by the army chief, federal ministers, provincial chief ministers and heads of all civil and military security agencies. It was also decided in the meeting that initially the main focus would be on repatriation of at least 1.7 million illegal Afghan nationals to their homeland. The decisions were officially conveyed to the media by the caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti, in a press-conference. In the beginning the announcement made by the government spokesman was not taken seriously by the illegal Afghan immigrants but when on 1st November, the Government of Pakistan started taking strict action against them, the situation began to change rapidly.
Some ‘worried for nothing’ type of pseudo human rights’ caretakers are expressing their resentment on Pakistan’s strict implementation on expulsion plan of illegal immigrants. Such ‘philosophers’ are ignoring the fact that in spite of repeated warnings, only about 200000 refugees have yet voluntarily returned to their homeland Afghanistan. This number includes at least 5,085 Afghans who were having no legal documentation for their stay in Pakistan. Same is the behaviour of most of the Afghan illegal immigrants as they are portraying Pakistan’s screening out plan for illegal immigrants as ‘callous and unjust’. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing illegal, immoral or anything against international ethics in Pakistan’s plan of screening out all illegal immigrants including the immigrants from Afghanistan. Approaching different media outlets and social media forums for defaming and slandering Pakistan in itself is something unethical and immoral. Pakistan’s decision of sending back the illegal immigrants is in no way violation of basic human rights. From the US to the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and Saudi Arabia, no country allows anyone to stay on her without official documentation. Staying without papers in any country is considered a serious crime all over the world. Pakistan also has a set of rules and regulations for the immigrants as all other countries have; then why this invidious hue and cry??? Certainly this ‘mischievous’ uproar is indicating some hidden feelings of ‘affection’ for Pakistan.
—The writer is Principal of a Government College and senior columnist, based in Multan.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
