Islamabad — Pakistan has reiterated that the transitory stay of Afghan refugees within its borders cannot be open-ended, asserting its sovereign authority to decide who may remain in the country and for how long.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing a weekly press briefing, said the presence of undocumented Afghans in Pakistan is not sustainable. “Any people with no documentation should leave. This is what Pakistan is doing and what any other country will be doing, including in Europe and other countries … it is our territory, we decide who stays in,” he told reporters.

Khan rejected suggestions that Islamabad’s ongoing repatriation campaign specifically targets Afghans, insisting it was a legal matter. “Regarding this notion of expulsion of Afghans, I would say we have an overall policy and it is not targeting Afghans. Any person who is illegally [staying] in Pakistan will be sent back. It doesn’t matter where he or she is from. There is no targeting of Afghans. This is the global norm, and this is our sovereign decision regarding who do we allow to enter or stay in our country. So, any person, who’s illegal, we will repatriate that person.”

Germany’s Role

The FO also responded to Germany’s concerns after Berlin alleged that Pakistan had deported more than 2,000 Afghan refugees who were awaiting relocation there. Khan said Pakistan valued its relationship with Germany but urged Berlin to fulfil its commitments. “Germany should take in these refugees as soon as possible,” he said, adding: “We are willing to work with Germany because we have decades old relationship; on the basis of goodwill and mutual respect. We will see what we can do.”

Khan expressed hope that “this seriousness will be translated into action, and that the German … will be expedited.” He emphasized that Pakistani law would continue to apply to all Afghans living in the country.

Afghans waiting for relocation to Germany have reported police raids on guest houses where they were staying under German arrangements. Islamabad maintains that such stays cannot become an “indefinite arrangement.”

UN Appeal

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has appealed to Islamabad to pause the deportations in light of last week’s deadly earthquake in Afghanistan, which killed more than 2,200 people. “Given the circumstances, I appeal to the [government of Pakistan] to pause the implementation of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” Grandi said.

Pakistan, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, has hosted Afghans for over four decades, from the Soviet invasion in 1979 to the Taliban’s return in 2021. Authorities say more than 1.2 million Afghans have been repatriated since 2023, including more than 443,000 this year alone. Last month, Islamabad set a September 1 deadline for an estimated 1.3 million Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders to leave or face arrest and deportation.

Terrorism Concerns

Khan also linked the refugee issue to broader security concerns, accusing Kabul of failing to curb militancy. “Terrorist safe havens still exist in Afghanistan,” he said, adding: “Pakistan knows how to defend its territory and its people. An operation was carried out in the border area with Afghanistan against terrorists. Afghanistan needs to stop allowing its territory to be used for acts of terrorism.”

He dismissed allegations that Pakistani forces were involved in attacks inside Afghanistan, clarifying that security operations were based on credible intelligence and targeted only militants. “Terrorist groups are the common enemy of regional peace and stability, and eliminating them requires joint efforts,” he said, while calling on the Taliban to prevent their soil from being used against Pakistan.

Khan also noted that Pakistan had dispatched relief goods to Afghanistan following the earthquake and remained ready to provide more assistance.

At last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, member states reaffirmed their support for Afghanistan’s stability, stressing that only an inclusive government with broad-based representation could bring lasting peace.