The Foreign Office on Thursday rebuked the K-P government after Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the provincial authority would not cooperate with the federal government in its crackdown against Afghan nationals.
"On your question related to K-P, I can just emphasize that the regulation of border and foreign policy remains the domain of the federal government and within the federal government," Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters at his weekly news briefing.
He was responding to a question about the K-P chief minister's statement where he stated that his government would not launch any crackdown against the Afghans rather provide shelter to those who wish to stay in the province.
The federal government had given until March 31 to all those who possess Afghan citizen cards to leave voluntarily or face eviction. After the expiry of the deadline, authorities have launched crackdown against those Afghans and thousands of them have already been repatriated.
But in K-P, where most of the Afghans reside, authorities have yet to initiate action, putting the provincial government at odds with the federal authorities.
The spokesperson justified the government's decision. "Pakistan has always stood with our Afghan friends, brothers and sisters, in their difficulties, and has generously hosted generation of Afghans for over four decades," he explained.
"The illegal foreign repatriation plan is consistent with Pakistan's obligation under international law and its domestic legal framework. The right to secure and regulate our borders is a sovereign right and an internationally-recognised practice, which is by no means unique to Pakistan," he said.
"We wish to reiterate that IFRP is neither an indiscriminate nor an arbitrary measure. It applies to all foreigners, irrespective of their nationality or country of origin, residing in Pakistan in violation of our domestic laws," he further said.
Shafqat said the government had implemented IFRP in a phased systematic manner and had taken various institutional and policy measures to ensure the effective and smooth repatriation of illegal foreigners with dignity.
"We are engaged with relevant UN bodies for the protection of people in vulnerable situations, and our legal safeguards and remedies remain functional and effective to address any complaints. We are ensuring IFRPs alignment with international human rights and humanitarian norms and in coordination with all relevant partners."
On the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the spokesperson would not provide specific dates. There were reports that both countries agreed to hold the JCC meeting by April 15. However, due to ongoing tensions between the two countries, the fate of that meeting hangs in balance.
On the US tariff, the spokesperson said Pakistan had taken note of the decision by President Trump to pause implementation of trade tariffs for 90 days except China.
"We are following it and have seen the statement released by the US government yesterday regarding suspending tariffs on most of the countries."
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to dispatch high-powered delegation to Washington to discuss the issue with the Trump Administration. It is, however, unclear if the visit would go as planned after Trump put the tariff implementation on hold.
President Trump, however, further increased import tariff on Chinese goods, retching it up trade war between the two biggest economies of the world.
"We have close fraternal ties with China. We have noted the recent developments with regards to US tariffs and given the interconnected nature of global trade, such measures can have far reaching effects, particularly on developing countries. We hope for a swift and mutually beneficial resolution of this issue," the spokesperson stressed.
Commenting on the recent US move to discontinue one of the education exchange programs for Pakistani students, the spokesperson said global undergraduate exchange initiative played an important role in strengthening bilateral relations.
"The participants of the programs develop cross-cultural communication skills, adaptability and a global perspective on important issues, qualities that are indispensable in a modern in the modern interconnected world," he said.
"About the visa cancelations, we are seeking details from our missions in the US and will respond accordingly. Our missions will continue to provide full support and assistance to the affected Pakistani students, if any, by engaging with the relevant UN agencies."
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