The Apex Committee convened on Tuesday to address the issue of illegalrefugees in Pakistan and their eventual expulsion along with theconfiscation of their properties, as stipulated after the expiry of thedesignated return deadline. In an official statement issued by thecommittee, it was explicitly stated that “All illegal foreign nationalswill be bound to return to their country.” Furthermore, the statementasserted that “After the end of the deadline, the illegal immigrants willbe evicted and their properties will be confiscated.”
The committee’s meeting took place in Islamabad, with caretaker PrimeMinister Anwaarul Haq Kakar presiding over it. Notably, the gathering alsocounted Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and members of intelligenceagencies among its attendees. This decision followed closely on the heelsof media reports suggesting that the federal government was preparing torepatriate 1.1 million refugees based on a summary from the interiorministry, with the process scheduled to unfold incrementally.
Over the weekend, reports emerged from Islamabad concerning an operationconducted by the Counter Terrorism Department, which had detained 800Afghan refugees, half of whom lacked proper identification documents. Inresponse to inquiries, Kakar clarified that not all Afghan refugees wouldface expulsion; rather, it would be limited to those residing without validlegal documentation.
During a post-meeting press conference, Interim Interior Minister SarfrazBugti disclosed that the government had set November 1 as the deadline forimmigrants to depart the country. He also elaborated on the measures thatwould be taken following the deadline.
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It’s important to note that this decision to expel illegal refugees andtake possession of their properties was made under the auspices of theNational Action Plan. During the meeting, officials briefed the attendeeson counter-terrorism strategies and vehemently condemned recent acts ofterrorism, which included a devastating suicide bombing in Balochistan on12 Rabiul Awwal that claimed the lives of at least 59 individuals and leftmore than 60 others injured, heightening concerns about Pakistan’s securitysituation.
In addition to addressing the refugee issue, the Apex Committee alsoresolved to take action against individuals facilitating terrorists.Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar emphasized the collective commitment to a”zero-tolerance” stance against terrorists and affirmed the continuation ofthe ongoing counter-terrorism operation, highlighting that “terrorists arethe enemies of the country and nation.”
