Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani briefed Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on regional peace challenges, particularly increased terror activities involving Afghan nationals in Pakistan. The caretaker government set a 28-day deadline for illegal immigrants, including Afghan refugees, to leave or face expulsion.
Jilani emphasized addressing peace and stability challenges collaboratively through collective strategies during their meeting in Tibet, China, where he attended the Third Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation.
Pakistan’s decision to expel illegal migrants followed a rise in unlawful and terror-related incidents. The interior minister revealed that Afghan nationals were responsible for 14 out of 24 suicide bombings in the country this year.
With a significant Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, Islamabad has experienced increased terrorism, especially after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group with safe havens in Afghanistan, ended a ceasefire with the government.
Taliban authorities have been attempting to encourage the return of Afghan refugees, despite aid cutbacks due to the collapse of the US-backed government. They deemed Pakistan’s plan to evict Afghan migrants “unacceptable.”
