Islamabad, February 19, 2025: Pakistan has strongly rejected allegations of mistreatment of Afghan citizens, dismissing them as baseless and misleading. Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan responded to claims made by the Afghan chargé d’affaires, who accused Pakistan of targeting Afghan nationals through detentions and forced relocations.
Khan reiterated that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, offering them education, healthcare, and essential services despite receiving minimal international support.
“We have shared our resources to accommodate Afghan citizens with dignity and respect,” he stated, emphasizing that Pakistan has always upheld humanitarian principles in its treatment of Afghan refugees.
Clarifying the ongoing repatriation drive, Khan explained that the removal of undocumented foreigners began in 2023 under a structured and harassment-free process, with Afghan authorities actively involved in facilitating the return of their nationals.
The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, however, issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, alleging that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were being subjected to arrests, searches, and police orders to relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
“This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad,” the statement claimed.
The embassy further asserted that Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed a definitive plan to deport all Afghan refugees, not only from the twin cities but from the entire country in the near future.
The warning from Afghanistan’s embassy comes amid growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan’s interim government of failing to curb cross-border attacks.
Urging Kabul to take responsibility, Shafqat Ali Khan stressed that the real challenge now lies in Afghanistan ensuring the smooth reintegration of its returning citizens.
“It is now up to Afghan authorities to create favorable conditions for their people and safeguard their rights,” he asserted.
