By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
January 4, 2024
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says 541,000 Afghans have left for Afghanistan as Islamabad’s campaign to repatriate some 1.7 million “undocumented foreigners” continues, despite international concerns for their safety and means to shelter upon their return. Since its push began in October, Pakistan has extended a December deadline to February 29, with fines of $100 per month threatened for violators. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar linked the expulsions to the Afghan Taliban government’s inability to prevent the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from launching deadly attacks in Pakistan. The UN World Food Program says 15 million Afghans face food insecurity this winter.