Pakistan’s ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that its policy regarding transfer of Afghan refugees will continue until changes are formally notified.
Speaking at a scheduled press briefing in Islamabad, MoFASpokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the process of sending Afghan refugees to third countries is facing delays. However, the spokesperson said that no change in the procedure has been officially notified yet.
Khan added that Pakistan wants Afghan refugees to settled in third countries as soon as possible.
The remarks came after newly-inaugurated United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was suspending the US refugee program. The move effectivelycancelled flights for over 1,600 Afghan refugees including unaccompanied minors who were set to be resettled in the US.
Khan also said that Pakistan’s head of mission in Afghanistan, Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani, has not been given the rank of ambassador yet. He said that the countries who have posted ambassadors in Afghanistan have fully accepted the Taliban government while Pakistan will make its decision based on the international landscape as well as other the posture of other countries.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan is continuously pressuring Afghanistan to find a solution to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s sanctuaries in its territory. He added that the problem was Afghanistan’s to solve and would have ramifications for the entire region.
Khan added that Pakistan’s security forces are diligently guarding its border and the matter of terrorist sanctuaries will be raised at multilateral forums as well.
Regarding recent exchanges between US and Afghan Taliban over weapons left behind during the withdrawal in 2021, Khan said that Afghan authorities need to ensure that the weapons do not fall in terrorist hands.
President Trump had announced that he would get back US weapons left behind in Afghanistan in a speech on the eve of his inauguration. However, the Taliban had refused to return the weapons and instead asked for more weapons to fight Islamic State Khorasan.
