ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi Monday said that foreigners including Afghan citizens could not reside in Pakistan indefinitely without a visa.
Talking to a private news channel, the minister said that some foreign countries had criticized Pakistan for repatriating illegal immigrants. “There are approximately 20,000 Afghans in Pakistan who had collaborated with US coalition forces,” Murtaza Solangi said.
The minister said that the Taliban government was established in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, but the US and its allies were not yet able to shift these 20 thousand Afghans to their respective countries.
He further said that the treatment of illegal immigrants across the world was known to everyone. When illegal immigrants were drowning in Greece, no one came to save them, Murtaza Solangi recalled.
Despite such challenges, the minister expressed confidence in Pakistan’s commendable record concerning illegal residents compared to other nations.
He further said that millions of Afghan citizens legally residing in Pakistan enjoy full access to facilities, including health, education, and business activities.
Regarding foreigners lacking proper documents or visas, the minister stated that Pakistan’s stance is to request them to return to their home countries. He emphasized the need for Pakistan to determine the duration for which foreigners can stay within its borders. —APP
