Pakistan firm on March 31 deadline for foreigners’ exit
• Afghan diplomat was summoned for protest over terrorist attacks, FO confirms
• Muttaqi calls for gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees
• Rejects Indian remarks about UNSC resolutions on Kashmir
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday insisted that the deadline for the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented foreigners to leave the country remains unchanged, dismissing concerns raised by the United Nations agencies over the repatriation process.
“Authorities have informed that there is no change in the deadline,” FO spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said during the weekly media briefing.
The government had set March 31 as the deadline for ACC holders and illegal foreigners to leave Pakistan voluntarily. Afterwards, mass deportations will begin as per an official warning issued by the ministry of interior.
Mr Khan also dismissed concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies regarding the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.
“We are not bound to consult UNHCR. First of all, Pakistan is not a member of the Refugee Convention. So, anything we have done for the Afghan refugees was done voluntarily for the past 50 years. So, with regards to international obligations, we have fulfilled more than our share, by offering this kind of hospitality to Afghans, and we continue to welcome them. But they should have Pakistani visas on their passport, and then they will be more than welcome,” he said.
His remarks came after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called for the gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees, from not just Pakistan, but also the rest of the world, Dawn.com reported.
The Afghan foreign minister was addressing an Iftar gathering for diplomats based in Kabul on Wednesday, where Pakistani Charge d’affaires Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani was also present.
He said that over the past four decades, millions of Afghans have migrated to different countries, including Pakistan and Iran.
“Refugees should be respected and their return should be gradual and dignified. We have no security problems throughout the country, but there are some problems that make it difficult to prepare for the arrival of refugees all at once. It is hoped that this work will be implemented gradually,” he told the diplomats.
Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme has been in effect since Nov 1, 2023. The interior ministry stated that sufficient time has been provided for the dignified return of illegal foreigners.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a multistage plan targeting nearly three million Afghan citizens residing in Pakistan.
While the move has drawn criticism from international humanitarian organisations, Islamabad has reiterated its stance on ensuring compliance with local immigration laws.
The government has allowed registered Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration cards to stay until June 30. However, PoR card holders residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be relocated to other areas.
In reply to a question, the spokesman confirmed that Afghan charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office for protest over use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
“Our position on this issue has consistently been conveyed to Afghan authorities through a number of channels. Indeed, terrorist threat against Pakistan from terrorist entities including TTP, BLA and [IS-K] is our foremost concern. We continue to impress upon interim authorities to take visible and verifiable action against them, keeping in view their commitments given to the international community to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and groups from the Afghan soil,” he maintained.
Welcoming the reopening of Torkham border crossing that had been closed because of Pakistan’s concerns about the construction of a building, he said the current arrangement has been arrived at through mutual consultations.
The spokesman said this understanding will remain in place till April 15 and hoped that by then a permanent system ensuring continuous operation of the Torkham border would have been put in place.
Regarding the inclusion of Pakistani nationals in certain visa restriction categories by the US, the spokesperson said that both the FO and State Department had refuted the reports on social media.
Reaction to Indian statement
The FO spokesman also said India had “no right” to blame the UN Security Council and its members for their resolutions on the Kashmir dispute when it was the one to originally approach the global body about the issue in 1948, Dawn.com reported.
Mr Khan made the remarks while responding to a journalist’s question about Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The spokesman said that the “repetition of baseless claims” by India could not deny the fact that Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status was to be determined by its people through a UN-supervised plebiscite, as stipulated in the relevant UNSC resolutions.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025