Pakistan deports over 200 Afghan nationals
(Sourced from PTI)
Pakistan has deported over 200 Afghan nationals, including women and children, after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, according to a media report on Wednesday. They crossed into Pakistan from different points and reached Chaman and stayed at a railway station there for a few days, but authorities of the border town did not allow them to stay further there, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Subsequently, the Afghan nationals belonging to Afghanistan's Kunduz province managed to reach Quetta two days ago and chose a place in Baleli, a locality in the outskirts of the provincial capital. However, the authorities there also did not allow them to stay in Quetta. They took them into custody and sent them back to their country via Chaman on Tuesday, the report said.
"These Afghan families were deported to Afghanistan as they entered Pakistan illegally. Until the government gave permission for their stay, all Afghan nationals entering Pakistan illegally would be sent back," Quetta Division Commissioner Sohail-ur-Rehman Baloch was quoted as saying by the report.
Pakistan is not allowing Afghan citizens to enter the country without legal documents, including visa. The administration in Chaman said that no arrangements were made so far to welcome Afghan refugees to Pakistan. The Afghan refugees' organization and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are also yet to make arrangements for accommodating Afghan refugees in any area of Balochistan.
However, some Afghan families have reportedly entered the Noshki district from Helmand province of Afghanistan. Pakistan, which already has about three million Afghans staying in the country, has recently said that it is not in a position to accept more refugees.
Notably, over the past few weeks, several Afghan nationals have fled the country following Afghanistan's take over by the Taliban on August 15. Even as the evacuation of foreign nationals by different countries is still underway, the Taliban on Tuesday announced its government in the country, naming Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund as the leader of the new government.
According to media reports, the Taliban has invited six countries to attend the government formation ceremony. Apart from Pakistan and Qatar, which are known to have maintained cordial ties with the Taliban, the group has also invited China, Iran, Russia, and Turkey.
