Afghan nationals living legally in Pakistan should not be expelled: KP govt spokesperson

ISLAMABAD: The spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, emphasized that Afghan nationals residing legally in Pakistan should not face harassment or expulsion.

He cautioned that any such actions could significantly strain relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Since the initiation of the repatriation process targeting what the government terms as “undocumented aliens” in November of the previous year, official statistics regarding the number of Afghan nationals returning to their country have not been disclosed.

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However, it is believed that the actual number falls considerably short of the initially estimated 1.7 million. According to reliable sources, approximately half a million undocumented Afghans have returned to Afghanistan through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in the initial phase of repatriation.

Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif added that taking any measures against legally residing Afghans would fuel animosity, misperception, and distrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He urged the federal government to handle this issue with sensitivity and caution.