File photo of Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday sought to negate the perception that the interim government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants was targeting any specific nationality, stressing all actions were being taken as per law.
Earlier this week, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced that all illegally residing foreign nationals had until Nov. 1 to voluntarily leave the country or face deportation and confiscation of their assets. While he did not single out any nationality, it is widely believed the crackdown would disproportionately target Afghan nationals, as government estimates claim over 1 million of them are currently in Pakistan.
Following the announcement, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called on Pakistan to revisit the decision. In a posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan was unacceptable. “Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan’s security problems,” he claimed, adding the country should “tolerate” them until they left the country voluntarily.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the announced crackdown aimed to repatriate all individuals who had either overstayed their visas or lacked valid documents to remain in the country. She said Pakistan was within the parameters of its sovereign domestic laws to take action in this context.
To a question, she clarified the operation was not targeting the 1.4 million Afghan refugees that Pakistan “has been hosting since decades with exemplary generosity and hospitality despite its own constrained economic situation.” Stressing that Pakistan’s policy on Afghan refugees remained unchanged, she said their safe repatriation was a separate matter for which Islamabad was continuing discussions with Afghanistan to create a conducive environment.
To a separate question on reports of threats to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Pakistan’s team is to play matches for the ICC World Cup 2023, Baloch said it was the host country’s responsibility to ensure the players’ safety. She also said Pakistani authorities were in touch with India to resolve the issue of visa delays for Pakistani fans and journalists seeking to attend the cricket matches.
Warning New Delhi against mixing politics with sports, she added: “As the host, India should not hinder Pakistani fans from watching the World Cup.”