Pakistan clarifies Afghan deportation policy

Pakistan has clarified that Afghan citizens with valid visas and travel documents have not been expelled from the country.

Pakistan has clarified that Afghan citizens with valid visas and travel documents have not been expelled from the country.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said the government was following a legal process regarding Afghan nationals staying in Pakistan.

Addressing the weekly press briefing, Andrabi said cases of around 89,000 Afghan citizens were currently being reviewed under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP).

He explained that the process was being carried out according to established procedures and legal requirements.

The spokesperson added that Pakistan was also providing humanitarian relief by extending the stay of nearly 16,000 Afghan nationals.

The extension applies mainly to vulnerable groups, including women, children and elderly citizens, he said.

Commenting on reports of an incident near the Chitral border areas, Andrabi said the Foreign Office had no confirmed information about the matter.

He stated that reports coming from Afghanistan needed proper verification at the ground level before any official response could be given.

The spokesperson stressed that Pakistan would avoid commenting on unverified reports and would share information only after confirmation from reliable sources.