In Islamabad, senior diplomats revealed that the United States has noobjections to Pakistan’s actions against illegal immigrants. Pakistanidiplomats in contact with the US informed The Nation that Washingtonbelieves Pakistan’s actions do not affect refugees with legal status.
One diplomat stated, “The US has no issues if we take action againstillegal immigrants, and we have no plans to act against refugees with legalstatus.” Another diplomat mentioned that the US has been kept informedabout the situation, including concerns about terrorism originating fromAfghanistan.
Recently, Pakistan announced a crackdown on undocumented migrants withinthe country, with expulsion plans set for next month. This has raisedconcerns, especially among the estimated 1.7 million Afghan nationalslacking proper documentation.
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti emphasized that this crackdown isnot exclusively aimed at Afghans but applies to migrants of allnationalities, even though the majority in Pakistan are Afghan nationals.
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This move occurs amid strained relations between Pakistan and neighboringAfghanistan, which is now under Taliban rule. Pakistan accuses militants ofconducting attacks on its soil and using Afghanistan as a safe haven.