Pakistan foreign minister due in Kabul as deportations rise
3 Min Read
Pakistan's foreign minister is due to visit Afghanistan amid a wide deportation campaign in the country targeting Afghan refugees.
-
A laborer loads belongings of Afghan refugees onto the roof of a bus as the refugees prepare to return to Afghanistan, at a terminal in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
After more than 85,000 Afghans were expelled from Pakistan in just over two weeks, Pakistan's foreign minister was due to visit Afghanistan on Saturday.
Islamabad had earlier launched a deportation campaign to deport more than 800,000 Afghans by the end of April. The targeted Afghans are those who have had their permits canceled, including some born in Pakistan or who have lived in the country for decades.
Amid the campaign, convoys of Afghan families have headed to border towns each day, in fear of the "humiliation" of raids, arrests, or being separated from family members.
That said, Pakistan's Foreign Office announced that its top diplomat, Ishaq Dar, is set to meet with senior Afghan Taliban officials, including Prime Minister Hasan Akhund.
On the other hand, the Deputy Interior Minister, Tallal Chaudhry, stated at a news conference on Friday that there will be no "leniency and extension in the deadline," adding, "When you arrive without any documents, it only deepens the uncertainty of whether you're involved in narcotics trafficking, supporting terrorism, or committing other crimes."
Chaudhry has previously labeled Afghans as “terrorists and criminals,” a move analysts interpret as a politically driven effort to pressure the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan amid rising security tensions.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, over half of those returning are children, entering a country where girls are prohibited from attending secondary school and university, and women are largely excluded from the workforce.
Second phase of deportations
The United Nations reported that close to three million Afghans have found refuge in Pakistan over the years, escaping ongoing conflicts.
In the 1990s, Pakistan was among the few countries to formally recognize the Taliban’s initial rule and has since faced criticism for allegedly supporting the group’s insurgency against NATO forces. However, relations have sharply declined, especially with rising violence in Pakistan’s border regions.
During the first wave of deportations in 2023, hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans were expelled within weeks.
In a second phase announced in March, Pakistan revoked the residency permits of over 800,000 Afghans, instructing those awaiting relocation to other countries to leave by the end of April.
Additionally, more than 1.3 million Afghans holding UN-issued Proof of Registration cards have been ordered to vacate Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi.
