Islamabad, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has called on the Afghan government to extradite Pakistanis illegally residing in Afghanistan who are involved in terrorist activities, emphasizing the need for decisive action against militant hideouts.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, during a news conference in Islamabad, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar addressed the media, highlighting the increasing concerns regarding Pakistanis residing in Afghanistan without legal permission and their involvement in terrorism. He insisted that the Afghan government take concrete steps to dismantle the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) networks on their soil to prevent the use of Afghan territory for orchestrating terrorist activities.
The Prime Minister condemned recent threatening remarks from some Afghan leaders, which followed Pakistan’s policy decision to repatriate illegal immigrants, including Afghans. Such statements, he said, exacerbate tensions and harm the longstanding relationship between the two nations.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar noted the spike in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, which he correlated with provocative statements by Afghan officials. He honored Pakistan’s decades-long hospitality to millions of Afghan refugees but asserted that the current climate necessitated the return of illegal residents to uphold national security.
The Prime Minister stated that in the last two years, 2,267 Pakistanis have fallen victim to terrorism, with Afghan nationals implicated in many of these incidents, thereby justifying the government’s repatriation efforts commencing this month. He stressed Pakistan’s legal and moral right to deport those residing illegally in the country.
He assured that arrangements at border crossings like Torkham and Chaman have been made for the dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals and expects the Afghan interim government to facilitate this process on their side.
However, registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan will continue to be allowed to reside and conduct business within the country.
Addressing the increased acts of terrorism in Pakistan, which have risen by sixty percent since the establishment of the interim Afghan government, Kakar expressed disappointment over the Afghan government’s inaction against the TTP. He claimed there is evidence of the Afghan government’s leniency towards terrorist groups.
In response to inquiries, Kakar revealed that around 252,000 illegal residents have already voluntarily returned to their countries and that Pakistan encourages this dignified voluntary repatriation.
He concluded by reaffirming the vigilance and capability of Pakistan’s security forces to counteract terrorism effectively.