Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Wednesday said Pakistan’s decision to expel undocumented Afghan nationals was “unacceptable” and urged authorities to revisit the policy.
The statement comes a day after the caretaker government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants, including Afghan nationals, to leave Pakistan by October 31, or risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.
In a statement posted on social media platform X (erstwhile Twitter) in both Urdu and English, Mujahid said the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan was unacceptable and authorities should revise their policy in this regard.
“Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan’s security problems,” he stated, adding that as long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily, “that country should tolerate them”.
Around 1.3 million Afghans are registered refugees in Pakistan and 880,000 more have legal status to remain, according to the latest United Nations figures. However, the government claims that a further 1.7 million Afghans are in Pakistan illegally.
