Pakistan Expels Undocumented Afghans Citing Militant Threats
Pakistan has announced its decision to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans, attributing the move to the Taliban-led administration’s failure to take action against militants using Afghanistan as a base for attacks in Pakistan. The expulsion process, scheduled to begin on November 1, includes the removal of Afghan immigrants residing in the country for years. Despite calls from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and Western embassies to reconsider the decision, Pakistan has emphasized security concerns as the primary reason for the expulsion.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar stated that Pakistan had been left with no choice but to take matters into its own hands due to the lack of cooperation from the Afghan interim government. He added that Pakistan’s recent actions were not unexpected, given the circumstances. As part of the ongoing operations, tens of thousands of Afghans have already left the country, while authorities are conducting raids to apprehend more individuals.
Kakar highlighted that 15 suicide bombings in recent months were carried out by Afghans, resulting in numerous casualties, including Afghan nationals killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces. He expressed Pakistan’s continuous concerns regarding militant safe havens in Afghanistan. Despite repeated assurances, the Taliban-led administration has failed to take action against the facilitation of militants within their territory. This strongly-worded statement against the Taliban marks a departure from the historically close relationship between the two entities.
The Taliban administration, however, did not immediately respond to the accusations. They have previously denied similar allegations. Kakar explained that Pakistan had hoped the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021, following the withdrawal of foreign forces, would bring peace and cooperation. However, since then, Pakistan has experienced a 60% increase in militant attacks and a 500% surge in suicide bombings, resulting in the deaths of over 2,200 Pakistanis.
Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since the breakdown of talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani state in 2022. The TTP, an umbrella organization of various Islamist groups, is affiliated with and named after the Afghan Taliban but is not directly linked to the entity governing Afghanistan.
Kakar revealed that Pakistan had conveyed to the Taliban administration that it must choose between Pakistan and the TTP. The outcome of this ultimatum remains to be seen.
(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Alex Richardson)
