ISLAMABAD, Feb 19(AP)The Afghan embassy in Islamabad issued a stern warning on Wednesday, stating that Pakistan plans to expel all Afghan refugees from the country imminently. The embassy’s statement highlighted that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have faced arrests, searches, and police orders to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
“This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence,” the statement added.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Afghans living illegally in Pakistan, there are approximately 1.45 million Afghan nationals registered with the UNHCR as refugees.
Pakistan foreign ministry defended its stance on Wednesday.
Ahmad Shah, a member of an Afghan advocacy group, urged Pakistan on Wednesday to allow Afghans waiting for relocation to continue living in Islamabad — at least until the Trump administration makes a final decision about their fate.
He said it would be hard for them to visit Western embassies in the Pakistani capital if they are forced to move to other areas.
