Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that all matters with Afghanistan will be put on hold until talks are completed.
In an interview with Pakistani News Channel on Saturday, November 1, he said the Torkham border crossing has been opened for the deportation of “illegal Afghan citizens” and no commercial activities will take place there.
He also said that the visa process for Afghans is currently suspended, but added that the process of deporting Afghan refugees will continue, which, in his opinion, will prevent these individuals from finding a pretext to return. A local Taliban government source in Torkham told that on Saturday, November 1, at least 400 families returned to Afghanistan through the border crossing and were accommodated in a local refugee camp.
The Pakistani Defense Minister’s comments about the suspension of visa processing come at a time when some Afghans living in Pakistan say their visas are not being extended, and they are being arrested and harassed by police.
An Afghan resident of Islamabad, told to media “Every day, police come and ask for legal documents, arrest Afghans, and take money from them.”
“Unfortunately, the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is very dire and is getting worse by the day. Despite our requests for visa extensions, they don’t extend them. Still, police come every day, ask for legal documents, arrest Afghans, and take money from them.”
Another Afghan resident in Rawalpindi, who also wishes to remain anonymous, complains similarly. “Many Afghans live in constant fear without legal documents. We can’t go to the hospital or work, and our children and women live in constant fear. There are no schools or facilities for the children. In short, Afghans living here face numerous problems.”
The series of arrests and forced deportations of undocumented Afghan refugees from Pakistan began in 2023, but it has accelerated unprecedentedly following clashes and strained relations between the Taliban and Pakistani forces along the Durand Line. On October 11, clashes broke out between the two sides, resulting in the closure of all border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including Torkham and Chaman.
Officials from the Pakistan-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry say the border closures have caused significant financial losses for traders on both sides.
Dr. Mukhlis Ahmad, an advisor to the chamber, told: “Trade should not be a victim of politics. Politics should not affect people’s movement. Traders and people should be allowed to move freely. This not only harms Afghan traders and people on this side of the border but also severely affects traders and people on the other side.”
Earlier, traders from both sides had told that they had suffered heavy losses due to the border closures.
Although a six-day meeting between the two sides’ delegations in Istanbul on October 25 resulted in an agreement to extend the ceasefire, no progress was made regarding the reopening of the border crossings. The Taliban government has not commented on the Pakistani Defense Minister’s recent remarks.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, said in an interview with Pakistani News on October 31 that the Pakistani government had repeatedly assured them that the border crossings between the two countries would not be closed due to any political issues, but in his opinion, the country has not acted on its commitments, creating an atmosphere of mistrust.
The third round of high-level talks between the Taliban and Pakistani delegations is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey on November 6. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s spokesperson, told the News that the talks can yield positive results if both sides participate with sincerity and discuss key and fundamental issues.
The Pakistani Defense Minister says that Afghanistan (the Taliban government) should guarantee peace in Pakistan. Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan will not tolerate any form of terrorism, including from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), and their attacks will be met with a strong response.
Khawaja Asif claimed in an interview with a Pakistani media, that the Taliban government has demanded 10 billion Pakistani rupees to relocate Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members to remote areas.
According to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan is willing to pay the amount, but the Taliban government is not willing to provide any guarantees.
The Taliban government has not yet responded to the Pakistani Defense Minister’s recent remarks. However, they have previously emphasized that they will not allow any group to use Afghan soil against other countries.
Khawaja Asif added that the current members of their delegation will participate in the next round of talks with the Taliban government, and if progress is made, high-ranking officials will join the delegation. Additionally, a new mechanism will be established on November 6 to resolve border issues.
