Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday traded blame on the issue of Islamabad's plan to evict all Afghans staying in the country illegally.
The latest diplomatic spat was triggered by the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, which put out a statement on its X account, accusing Pakistani authorities of unilaterally deporting and mistreating Afghans.
The Foreign Office rejected the Afghan statement as misplaced and advised Kabul to create conducive environment in their own country for dignified return of Afghans.
It all started after the Afghanistan embassy in Islamabad expressed concern over Pakistan's decision to expel Afghan nationals from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
In a statement, it claimed that Pakistani authorities were planning mass expulsion of the Afghan refugees.
The Afghan embassy said it raised the issue with Pakistani authorities and international organisations about Islamabad's "unilateral" move.
The embassy statement said it shared this matter with Kabul to facilitate discussions on the dignified repatriation of the Afghan nationals and to assess the existing challenges surrounding this issue.
The UN refugee agency UNHCRP said on Tuesday it had received indications Pakistan wanted to immediately remove all Afghan refugees, including those holding ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) and PoR (Proof of Registration) cards, from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and that their expulsion from the entire country is imminent.
In response to media queries regarding remarks of the acting Afghan Cd'A on mistreatment of Afghan refugees by Pakistan, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan noted the remarks made by the acting Afghan Charge d' Affaires in Islamabad, about Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.
"His assertions regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced," Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement.
"I would like to remind him that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades with respect and dignity, while extending traditional hospitality, sharing its resources and services such as education and health, even with very little international support," he added.
"As regards aliens, we started IFRP in 2023, and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one is mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process. In this connection, we also extensively engaged the Afghan side to ensure smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals, the spokesperson explained.
He said while Pakistan had done what it could, it expects interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan, so that these returnees are fully integrated in the Afghan society.
"The real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that rights of these people about whom the Afghan Cd'A talked are protected in Afghanistan," the spokesperson further said.
Earlier, the UN's refugee agency said hundreds had been expelled from twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said it had seen a rise in deportations from Islamabad and Rawalpindi since Jan 1. "This latest relocation directive has increased fears of imminent deportation among Afghans," it said.
The latest removals come as the US State Department office overseeing the resettlement of Afghans in the United States was told to make plans to close by April, according to a US official, an advocate and two sources familiar with the directive. The move could deny up to an estimated 200,000 people new lives in the United States, many of whom are stranded in Pakistan.
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