• Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister briefed Afghan counterpart on regional peace challenges.
• Pakistan issued a 28-day deadline for illegal immigrants, including Afghan refugees, to leave voluntarily or face forced expulsion.
• Meeting occurred in Tibet, China, during the Third Trans-Himalaya Forum.

TIBET, China: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday briefed his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on the current challenges affecting regional peace.

Pakistan has been experiencing an increase in terrorist activities, some of which involve Afghan nationals. The interim government has issued a 28-day deadline, expiring on November 1, for all illegal immigrants, including Afghan refugees, to leave the country voluntarily or face forced expulsion.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which Jilani emphasized the need to address these challenges to regional peace and stability through collaborative efforts and collective strategies. The ministry also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Afghanistan.

This meeting took place in Tibet, China, as the foreign minister was visiting China to participate in the Third Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation, scheduled from October 4 to 5.

The decision to ask illegal migrants to leave the country stems from a recent surge in unlawful and terrorist activities within Pakistan. Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced this decision on October 3, noting that all illegal immigrants must depart voluntarily by November 1 or face forced removal. He disclosed that out of the 24 suicide bombings that occurred in the country this year, 14 were carried out by Afghan nationals.

Bugti also revealed that approximately 1.73 million Afghan nationals in Pakistan lacked legal documentation to stay, and the country was home to a total of 4.4 million Afghan refugees. This influx of Afghan refugees into Pakistan began after the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979.

However, Pakistan has experienced an increase in terrorism, particularly after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed group with safe havens in Afghanistan, ended a ceasefire with the government late last year. In the past week, two suicide bombings targeted religious gatherings in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 57 people. Bugti confirmed that one of the suicide bombers was identified as an Afghan national.

Despite the challenges, Taliban authorities have been trying to encourage the return of those who left Afghanistan, even though the country has faced a significant reduction in aid following the collapse of the US-backed government. Additionally, the plan by Pakistan to evict hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants has been met with strong disapproval from the Taliban authorities, who deemed it “unacceptable.”