RASC News Agency: Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has reaffirmed that the deadline for the expulsion of Afghanistani citizens holding refugee cards and undocumented migrants remains unchanged. Speaking at his weekly press briefing, he emphasized that Pakistan has already fulfilled more than its fair share of international obligations and has extended hospitality to Afghanistani refugees beyond any legal mandate.
He stated:
“We are under no obligation to consult with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). First and foremost, Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Therefore, every measure we have taken over the past five decades to accommodate Afghanistani refugees has been entirely voluntary. In terms of international commitments, we have exceeded our responsibilities and provided Afghanistani migrants with hospitality.” Khan further clarified that going forward, Afghanistani asylum seekers will be required to obtain a Pakistani visa stamped in their passports to be granted formal entry and stay. Notably, Pakistan has set March 31 as the final deadline for the voluntary departure of Afghanistani refugees, including those with citizenship cards and those without documentation.
Meanwhile, sources in Pakistan have revealed that Pakistani authorities have instructed landlords to evict Afghanistani tenants from their properties, signaling a tightening of restrictions. The crackdown on Afghanistani refugees has intensified in recent months, coinciding with the deterioration of relations between Islamabad and the Taliban regime. Pakistan, which once played a pivotal role in facilitating the Taliban’s rise to power, has seen its relationship with the group strain due to ethnic and ideological divergences. Consequently, Islamabad has ramped up pressure on those who fled Taliban persecution, making Afghanistani refugees the primary target of its latest restrictive measures.
