K-P not to expel Afghan migrants: CM

Authorities may start an operation for expulsion of illegal Afghan migrants in the rest of the country. However, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, will not carry out any such operation.

Speaking to the media in the federal capital on Friday, K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed his government's resolve not to force any Afghan national to leave the country.

"We will not force anyone. However, if someone wants to return to his country voluntarily then we will make arrangements for that," said Gandapur, who belongs to the PTI. "The federal government's policy with regard to Afghan refugees is faulty," he added.

On March 8, Pakistan gave Afghan migrants a 24-day deadline to leave the country voluntarily, warning that those who remain after March 31 would face forced deportation.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, the directive applied to holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) and all undocumented Afghan nationals.

The statement warned that from April 1, authorities would launch a nationwide operation to expel remaining Afghan migrants and on April 3, at the end of Eid holidays, the government launched a crackdown in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, rounding up 60 illegal migrants.

According to a report, city administration and law enforcement in Karachi also started forced repatriation of an estimated 16,138 ACC holders on Friday as they detained over 150 Afghans.

Gandapur said police and other authorities in the K-P would not become part of this expulsion drive. "We will, however, set up camps for those who wish to return voluntarily."

The K-P chief minister also reiterated his demand for convening of a National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting, stating that he was promised that the NFC award meeting would be held in April.

"If this meeting is not held as per the promise and the K-P is not given its rightful share, then I will take to the streets along with K-P police employees, other government employees, and the people of the province. Previously, we were fired upon; if we are fired upon again we will respond in kind. We also know how to fire bullets," he added.

Speaking about incidents of terrorism in the country, he said it was due to the flawed policies of the government that people have taken up arms. "There is a need to build a relationship of trust. Until peace is established in Afghanistan and the border areas, the situation will not improve."

He said terms of reference (TORs) should be established so that negotiations can be held with Afghanistan. "There is no solution without this. There is a lack of capacity to prevent terrorist incidents, and the federal government is responsible for this," he said.

Gandapur said that jailed PTI founder Imran Khan is most concerned about deteriorating law and order situation and rise in terrorism. He said the government authorities are focused on targeting the PTI instead of addressing the real issues, which is resulting in security lapses.

He said his government released Rs30 billion for security institutions including the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), but lamented that the federal ministers were using terror incidents in the K-P for political mileage. He added that the people stood by security forces in the war against terror.