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Pakistan to deport over one million illegal Afghan refugees

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Pakistan’s caretaker government has decided to send back all Afghan refugees living in the country illegally.

According to local media reports, this involves an estimated 1.1 million Afghans.

Pakistan government says almost one million Afghans have fled to Pakistan in the past two years, adding to millions more that have lived in the neighboring country for years.

According to media reports, the decision to expel illegal Afghan refugees comes amid a crackdown against terrorism, currency smuggling, and the illegal trade of sugar and fertilizer.

Sources said that the plan to deport more than 1.1 million Afghan refugees has been approved by the federal cabinet through the Interior Ministry.

Reports also indicate that Pakistan’s ministry of interior has collaborated with all relevant stakeholders, including the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) regarding their plan.

Pakistan’s police have been conducting a crackdown over the past few months against Afghan migrants. Hundreds have been arrested, with many of them already having been sent home.

In the most recent incidents, Karachi police claimed to have arrested at least 293 Afghan nationals for staying in the metropolis without valid travel documents.

In a statement, the police said several raids were carried out between September 9 to 12, wherein at least 253 illegal Afghan immigrants were taken into custody.

Sharing details of the actions, they said police stations of Quaidabad, Shah Latif, Malir City and Sukhan arrested 37 Afghan nationals.

Meanwhile, 68 immigrants were arrested from Korangi district and 49 from Kemari district. Separately, 91 Afghan citizens were arrested from Gulshan Iqbal, Shahrah Faisal, Sohrab Goth and other areas.

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US senator pushes bill to block US funds from reaching Afghanistan

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Republican Senator Tim Sheehy said on Monday night that he is leading efforts to push the No Taxpayer Funding for Terrorists Act in the US Senate, which will prevent American financial aid from reaching Afghanistan.

In a post on X, the Montana senator, who is a former Navy Seal, said: “After fighting terrorists for years in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m proud to lead the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act in the U.S. Senate.”

The bill was originally introduced in the House of Representatives by Republican Congressman Tim Burchett to oppose financial and material support from going to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). The bill was passed during President Joe Biden’s administration but failed to secure Senate approval.

However, on Monday, Congressman Tim Burchett issued a statement saying he will hold a press conference on Tuesday, February 25, on the Act.

He said in Monday’s statement that while working on the bill “it was brought to our attention that weekly cash shipments of around $40 million USD were being sent to the Afghanistan Central Bank.

“Additionally, after a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December of 2024, Secretary Blinken admitted that around $10 million had been paid to the Taliban (IEA) in the form of taxes.”

He said the bill was “passed unanimously through both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.”

“This legislation has been sat on long enough. We need to move this through both chambers and get it to President Trump’s desk,” said Burchett.

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Torkham remains closed after Pakistan-Afghanistan talks fail

The Pakistani authorities have requested that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) refrain from constructing new facilities along the Durand Line.

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The Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan remained closed on Tuesday after four days of negotiations between officials from the two countries failed to yield results.

Torkham commissioner Abdul Jabbar Hikmat reported that discussions held Monday were chaired by the deputy governor of Nangarhar but ended without any agreement.

The Pakistani authorities have requested that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) refrain from constructing new facilities along the Durand Line.

According to Bakhtar news agency, Pakistan also said Afghanistan should not obstruct Pakistan’s own development projects in the area.

Hikmat confirmed that this request was rejected by the Afghan side, which resulted in Pakistan maintaining its closure of the Torkham gate.

The ongoing closure has left thousands of travelers, including medical patients and commercial convoys stranded on both sides of the border.

Torkham is a key crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially for trucks. Closures of this border crossing result in huge losses for traders as many rely on this route to move fresh produce between the two countries.

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IEA confirms arrest of UK couple and a Chinese-American in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the detention of the two British nationals adding that the government was supporting their family.

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Afghanistan’s ministry of interior’s spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, confirmed Monday night that the Islamic Emirate has detained two Brits, a Chinese-American, and their Afghan translator.

Qani told AFP that “efforts are underway to resolve this issue”.

The two Brits, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, are both in their 70s and were detained in Bamiyan province.

According to their daughter, the couple has lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and stayed on after the IEA regained control.

“Based on certain considerations, the authorities have detained four people: two British citizens holding Afghan papers, one person with Chinese and American nationality and their translator,” Qani told AFP.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the detention of the two British nationals adding that the government was supporting their family.

“We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

In a statement reported by the BBC on Monday, Qani said: “A series of considerations are being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.”

Qani added the three foreign nationals had Afghan passports and national ID cards.

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