The Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, held a meeting with his Afghancounterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in Tibet, where they discussed mutualcooperation on addressing the challenges to regional security andstability.
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani is in China for a two-day visit, fromOctober 4th to 5th, to participate in the Trans-Himalayan Forum forInternational Cooperation, held independently in Tibet.
The Trans-Himalayan Forum was established in 2018 with the aim ofstrengthening geographical ties, environmental conservation, and culturalrelations among the countries in the region. According to a statementissued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Jalil AbbasJilani met with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during thisvisit.
During their meeting, Jalil Abbas Jilani emphasized the need for mutualcooperation to address the current challenges to regional security andstability through practical wisdom. The statement further mentioned thatthe meeting between the Foreign Ministers of both countries occurred at atime when Pakistan has set the deadline of October 31st for the voluntaryreturn of Afghan nationals, including illegal residents, from itsterritory.
It has been made clear that after this deadline, these individuals will bedeported. In Islamabad, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for NationalSecurity, Moeed Yusuf, chaired a meeting of the National Action Plan’s ApexCommittee on Sunday. High-ranking military and civil leadership attendedthe meeting.
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The Apex Committee decided that Pakistan would establish a documentedprocedure for the entry and exit of Afghan nationals to and from Pakistanin the context of Afghan transit trade. Entry and exit will be allowed onlywith passports and visas, and strict action will be taken against illegalforeign residents, irrespective of any specific nationality.
It’s worth noting that yesterday, Afghan security forces opened fire onthe Pak-Afghan border in Chaman, resulting in the loss of two Pakistanilives and injuries to a child. On the other hand, in Islamabad, during theweekly briefing on Sunday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson ZahraBaloch had said that Pakistan is not against Afghan transit trade but isagainst its misuse.
She clarified that there had been no change in Pakistan’s policy regardingAfghan migrants. Pakistan is hosting millions of Afghan migrants and isproviding them with hospitality for decades. She reiterated that Pakistan’sactions are against illegal migrants, not against any specific citizenship.
