Taliban Government Asks Pakistan for More Time for Undocumented Afghan Departures
The Taliban has requested Pakistan to extend the departure deadline for undocumented Afghans, amidst thousands fleeing imminent deportation and increasing border pressure. Pakistan’s restrictions on belongings and abrupt deportations were criticized.
Image Source: Nikkei Asia
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has asked Pakistan to extend the deadline for undocumented Afghans to depart, as thousands are escaping the imminent threat of deportation, and pressure is building at border posts. More than 130,000 Afghans who were living in Afghanistan illegally left the country in October, causing traffic jams on both sides of the border. Pakistan had given 1.7 million of these people until November 1 to leave voluntarily or face being forcibly removed.
Taliban officials expressed gratitude to Pakistan and other countries that have hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the years, but they also called for a more thoughtful approach, requesting adequate time for preparations rather than abrupt deportations. Though it has criticized Pakistan for its actions, the Taliban government has been urging Afghan citizens to return home, claiming that the country’s political tensions with Kabul are the reason behind the penalties Afghanistan is facing.
Pakistan links these incidents to militants operating out of Afghanistan, citing worries for its “welfare and security” in the wake of an increase in attacks. The Taliban government, on the other hand, denies this claim, claiming that Afghan refugees in other countries have not posed security threats or caused instability.
Additionally, Pakistan’s limitations on what Afghans can bring across the border, including cash and personal belongings like livestock, were criticized in the statement released by the Taliban government. An “emergency situation” has been plaguing border officials on the Afghan side, especially at the Torkham crossing in eastern Afghanistan, as they attempt to handle the steady stream of returnees from Afghanistan.
Ad hoc settlement has sprung up around the border post, where people are forced to sleep outside with limited access to basic amenities like food, water, and medications while they wait to be registered. Conditions there are becoming more and more dire. In an attempt to resolve this crisis, the government intends to erect two makeshift camps near Torkham and has established a High Commission.
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