Kabul, Nov 7 (UNI) Afghanistan may retaliate against Pakistans move to deport undocumented Afghans remaining in the country after November 1, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai said on Tuesday.
On Sunday, over 6,500 Afghan nationals left Pakistan via the Torkham border checkpoint, bringing the total number of repatriated Afghans to more than 170,000, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported, citing border officials.
“We were very patient and showed courage, we did not react sharply. Our request to the government and security forces of Pakistan is to change their attitude and not force us to react to their actions,” Stanekzai said.
According to UN data, 1.3 million Afghans are registered as refugees in Pakistan and another 880,000 have legal residence permits. The Pakistani government says about 400,000 Afghans have crossed into Pakistan illegally since the Taliban takeover..
In early October, Pakistani media reported that the government was drafting a plan to deport undocumented migrants over concerns about their possible links to terrorists. The cabinet later announced that all those living in Pakistan illegally should leave voluntarily by October 31 to avoid forced deportation..
