KARACHI: Balochistan’s Caretaker Information Minister, Jan Achakzai, announced on Thursday that more than 80,000 illegal Afghan nationals have been sent back to Afghanistan as part of the deportation drive initiated on November 1, following the expiration of a one-month ultimatum for voluntary repatriation.
Addressing the media at the Karachi Press Club, Achakzai said that the decision to repatriate illegal Afghan immigrants was made due to the fact that Afghan soil is being used to target Pakistani security forces. Moreover, Afghan nationals are involved in the terrorism activities in Pakistan. He said that all six terrorists killed in Zhob last week were Afghan nationals. He attributed the increase in terrorism incidents in Pakistan to the change in Afghanistan’s government two years ago.
The minister stressed that the repatriation of illegal immigrants, 92 percent of whom were Afghan nationals, was a sovereign state’s decision. He mentioned that the Balochistan government had blocked around 100,000 fake Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) in two districts, and action would be taken against officials responsible for issuing fake CNICs to illegal immigrants.
Achakzai expressed gratitude to the National Database Registration Authority for aiding the Balochistan government in identifying and blocking CNICs of illegal immigrants. He also noted the full collaboration of the Federal Investigation Agency in tracing the whereabouts of illegal immigrants.
The minister affirmed that the operation against terrorists would persist until the last one is eliminated from the country.
