The Taliban government in Afghanistan has made an appeal to Pakistan,urging them to grant additional time for the undocumented Afghans residingin Pakistan to voluntarily leave the country. This request comes as borderposts are grappling with overwhelming pressure due to the influx ofthousands of Afghans returning to their homeland to avoid the loomingthreat of deportation.
The Pakistani government had originally established November 1 as thedeadline for the approximately 1.7 million Afghans living illegally withinits borders to leave voluntarily. Failure to comply would subject them toforced removal.
Border officials stationed in the towns of Torkham and Chaman have reportedthat a significant number of people, exceeding 130,000, have alreadydeparted Pakistan since the order was issued at the beginning of October.This mass exodus has triggered a severe backlog and congestion on bothsides of the border crossings.
In response to this situation, the Taliban authorities issued a statementexpressing their appreciation to Pakistan and other nations that haveprovided refuge to millions of Afghans who fled their homeland during theprolonged periods of conflict.
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However, they have made a plea to these host countries, asking them not tohastily deport Afghans but instead extend the time for necessarypreparations.
Since the Taliban assumed power in August 2021, they have consistentlyencouraged Afghans to return to their home country.