Pakistan: Expulsion of Afghan Migrants is a Response to Taliban's Lack of Cooperation

Pakistan stated on Wednesday that the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of illegal Afghan migrants is a reaction to the Taliban government's unwillingness to take action against militants who use Afghanistan as a base for attacks in Pakistan. Pakistan had previously set November 1 as the deadline for the expulsion of all illegal migrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Ignoring requests from the United Nations, human rights groups, and Western embassies to reconsider its decision, Pakistan has cited security issues as the reason for expelling these migrants. Tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, have been forced to leave the country, and Pakistani officials are collecting more of them across Pakistan. Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, the Prime Minister of the interim government of Pakistan, stated that 'Afghans' have carried out 15 suicide attacks in recent months and that 'dozens of Afghans' have been killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces. He mentioned that Pakistan has continuously expressed its concerns about safe havens for militants in Afghanistan, but despite repeated promises, Taliban leaders have taken no action. The Prime Minister of the interim government of Pakistan said that, instead, evidence suggests that the work of militants in Afghanistan has been facilitated. Such statements from Pakistani officials against the Taliban, who have been considered close allies of Pakistan for years, are unusual.