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Distinguish between Afghans and terrorists: former Pakistani FM

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Former Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has questioned the “strong-arm” tactics used to deport illegal Afghan immigrants and called for “distinguishing between terrorists and people”.

Talking to reporters in Karachi, Bhutto-Zardari said robust measures needed against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shouldn’t be used against civilians.

“A distinction must be made between people and terrorists while devising any policy,” Bhutto-Zardari added. “If you go against people, you will never achieve your target.”

In reply to a question, the former foreign minister said there was a “lack of clarity” in the caretaker government’s policy about the repatriation of illegal Afghan immigrants.

Pakistan’s government had initially warned Afghan immigrants residing illegally in Pakistan to voluntarily leave by November 1. Now, the authorities have decided to expand the action and announced the plan to deport even registered Afghans, according to Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign ministry has rebuffed criticism over the deportation of, what it called, illegal Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan and said the actions were in line with the established international laws.
Answering a question during her weekly press briefing on Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the policy was reflective of Pakistan’s desire to implement its own laws, which include sanctions on individuals who are residing illegally.

“These laws are similar in many countries, including the United States”, she remarked.

The policy is being implemented “with full confidence that it was in conformity with international practice”.

She claimed the policy doesn’t apply to individuals who have confirmed refugee status in Pakistan and that the government was “sensitive to the concerns some of these individuals may have regarding their return to Afghanistan”.

On the policy vis-a-vis Afghan individuals destined to be settled in third countries, she said Pakistan was in contact with these countries, including the US, to work out the modalities for the settlement process.

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Human traffickers should be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison: IEA leader

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The Leader of the Islamic Emirate has issued a decree instructing the Ministry of Interior Affairs to prevent human trafficking and to arrest and refer culprits to military courts.

The decree containing six articles says that that military courts should sentence human traffickers to one year in prison for the first time, two years if repeated for the second time and three years if repeated for the third time.

The ministries of Hajj, information, telecommunications, borders, propagation of virtue, as well as religious scholars are asked to inform the public about the dangers and adverse consequences of travelling through smuggling routes.

The decree comes as the rate of migration has increased following the political change in Afghanistan in 2021.

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Eight Afghan migrants die as boat capsizes off Greek island

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Eight Afghan migrants died after a speedboat carrying migrants capsized off Greece's eastern island of Rhodes on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Greek authorities said that the capsizing was the result of the boat’s maneuvering to evade a patrol vessel.

A total of 18 migrants — 12 men, three women and three minors — all Afghan nationals, were rescued, Greece's coast guard said Saturday. The dead were also from Afghanistan, it said.

Some migrants remained hospitalized, with one in critical condition, authorities said.

Two Turkish citizens, ages 23 and 19, were arrested as the suspected traffickers. The boat sank after capsizing, the coast guard said.

The sinking off Rhodes was the second deadly incident involving migrants in the past week.

Seven migrants were killed and dozens were believed missing after a boat partially sank south of the island of Crete over the weekend — one of four rescue operations during which more than 200 migrants were rescued.

 

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Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires meets with IEA deputy foreign minister

Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Per Albert Ilsaas, on Saturday met with IEA’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, in Kabul.

Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

In addition to focusing on bilateral political, humanitarian, and other pertinent issues, the two sides expressed hope that continued engagement would lead to constructive solutions to related issues.

This comes two weeks after the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi expressed disappointment regarding the decision by the Norwegian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.

Balkhi said in a post on X that such decisions should not be linked with internal affairs of other countries.

“Diplomatic engagement is most effective when it fosters mutual understanding and respect, even amidst differing viewpoints,” he stated.

“Access to consular services is a fundamental right of all nationals. We strongly urge all parties to prioritize this principle in the spirit of international cooperation,” he added.

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