LAHORE: Pakistan has urged undocumented Afghan nationals to return to Afghanistan, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warning that the government can “no longer afford” the security risks posed by militants linked to recent terror and suicide attacks, many of whom officials say were Afghan citizens.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Naqvi said the government was facing “serious difficulties” in implementing its deportation policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), accusing the provincial authorities of protecting Afghan migrants.
“Afghan migrants are being protected in KP. This is not the case in the other provinces,” Naqvi said, adding that despite the federal government de-notifying refugee camps, several remained operational in KP.
The minister said investigations into recent attacks — including the assault on the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar — confirmed that the perpetrators were Afghan nationals.
“The terrorists who attacked the constabulary headquarters were Afghans,” he said, underscoring what he described as a rising security threat.
Naqvi announced that police across the country had been tasked with identifying and locating undocumented Afghans in their jurisdictions. Inspector generals, he said, had been directed to compile comprehensive data through police stations.
“Our message to the KP government is that it is important at this time to prioritise your country over politics,” he said. “We cannot afford any more bomb blasts.”
Issuing a direct warning to undocumented Afghan nationals, Naqvi said:
“My message to illegal Afghans is to leave yourself respectfully. Because if you get caught now, we will not just send you back.”
He added that Afghans who returned to Pakistan after being deported would be immediately arrested.
The remarks come amid growing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, as Pakistan accelerates efforts to deport undocumented Afghan migrants following a string of attacks blamed on Afghan militants.
