Afghan refugees being repatriated in dignified manner: Talal Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Amid the ongoing countrywide drive against illegal foreigners and Afghan Citizen Card holders, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Thursday said that the Afghan citizens were being repatriated in a dignified manner.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Talal said that transit points were established in all the provinces to facilitate Afghan citizens, adding that a helpline was also set up for the citizens of the neighbouring country.

He maintained that the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card holders, will continue with no extension to the deadline that expired last month.

He said so far, 857,157 illegal foreign nationals and Afghan Citizen Card holders had been repatriated to their respective countries.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government had given them a deadline to leave the country by March 31.

The minister emphasised that this deadline has expired and there will be no further extension in this regard.

“One-document regime will be fully implemented, requiring valid visas and passports to enter Pakistan,” the minister added.

He said Afghan citizens who are being repatriated can visit, work, and stay in Pakistan under the one-document regime policy, provided they have valid visas and passports.

Talal recalled that the policy of repatriating illegal foreign nationals has been in effect since October 30, 2023.

He said the repatriation will be completed in phases. In the first phase, illegal foreign nationals without legal documents were sent back to their countries. In the second phase, Afghan Citizen Card holders are being repatriated to their homeland, while in the third phase, Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration cards will be deported.

The minister highlighted that Pakistan made this decision after hosting millions of Afghan brethren for decades. He explained that the decision was taken in light of current ground realities. The minister added that it has been observed that Afghan citizens are involved in narcotics trade and terrorism-related activities in Pakistan.

He further stated that the revenue generated through narcotics is used to fund criminal and terrorist activities.

Discussing internal arrangements to ensure the dignity of Afghan Citizen Card holders, Talal said all provinces, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, are fully on board with this initiative.

He said 38 transit points have been established in Punjab, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in Sindh, three in Azad Kashmir, and one each in Balochistan, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan. The minister further elaborated that Afghan Citizen Card holders are kept at these facilities before their onward journey to Afghanistan. He assured that Afghan Citizen Card holders are being provided with shelter, food, medical care, and transport facilities, while their honor and dignity are being upheld during the repatriation process.

Detailing the figure of registered Afghan nationals, the minister said that there were 815,247 Afghans registered as Citizen Card holders while 1,469,522 were registered under the Proof of Registration program.