Deputy PM begins Kabul visit as Pakistan cracks down on Afghan refugees

Pakistan ruled out any extension to the April 30 deadline for relocation of Afghan refugees to third countries, ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Kabul on Saturday to reset the frayed ties between the two countries.

Dar, who is also the foreign minister, would hold delegation-level talks with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi after he was invited by his counterpart for the visit.

According to the Foreign Office, Dar would also call on Acting Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund and meet Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

A high-level delegation accompanying Dar and his parleys would cover the entire gamut of Pak-Afghan relationship, focusing on ways and means to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, including security, trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties.

The trip came as a drive against illegal Afghan refugees intensified, with Pakistan making it clear that the only way for Afghans to stay in the country was to have entered legally with a visa.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Friday ruled out any extension to the April 30 cut-off for relocation of the Afghans to third countries, saying that under a one-document system, the Afghans should have a passport stamped with a valid visa, ‘Dawn News’ reported.

Chaudhry said the process of deportation of Afghan citizens and illegal immigrants under the second phase of the ‘One-Document Regime’ was underway, while the third phase involving deportation of Afghans already approved for relocation to third countries would start from April 30.

In November 2023, Pakistan initiated a drive to expel undocumented foreigners, affecting Afghans. To date, more than 907,000 individuals have been repatriated.

As of July 2024, around 44,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Western countries after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 were still in Pakistan, awaiting transfer.

These include 25,000 individuals destined for the US, 9,000 for Australia, 6,000 for Canada, 3,000 for Germany, and more than 1,000 for the UK.