Pakistan : According to ISPR, Army Chief General Asim Munir stressed that efforts will be continued with full force against illegal activities to prevent theft of resources and economic losses.
A meeting of Sindh Apex Committee was held in Karachi on October 6, 2023, in which Army Chief General Asim Munir and Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Rtd) Maqbool Baqir participated (ISPR).
Pakistan Army Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Friday that Army Chief General Asim Munir has stressed that law enforcement agencies and other departments of the government are 'with full force against illegal activities'. Efforts will continue to prevent theft of resources and economic losses.
The Army Chief reached Karachi today where he attended the Sindh Apex Committee meeting. Apart from caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Rtd) Maqbool Baqir, other officials also participated in the meeting.
The ISPR statement said that in the meeting, the army chief was briefed on the revised national action plan, operations in the riverine areas of Sindh, security of foreign nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other private projects. A briefing was given on several important issues including
Policy ready for possible privatization of government institutions: Finance Minister
According to the statement, the participants of the meeting discussed the repatriation of foreigners residing illegally in the country and measures to formalize foreign currency.
Apart from this, initiatives under Karachi Transformation Plan and Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) were considered.
According to the statement, Army Chief General Asim Munir said that law enforcers and other government agencies will continue operations against illegal activities with full force to prevent the theft of resources and the economic losses caused to the country due to these activities. can be saved
He also emphasized the need for coordination among all concerned departments to benefit from the historic initiatives.
According to ISPR, the participants of the meeting said that the state institutions, government departments and people are united for the development and prosperity of the province.
No barriers to trade with Afghanistan: Pakistan
Afghanistan's embassy in Islamabad alleged that trade was being obstructed by Pakistan, but a spokesman for the Pakistani foreign ministry said, "This information is incorrect."
Pakistan has denied these reports and claims by Afghan officials that there are any obstacles in the way of bilateral trade and transit trade.
A statement from the Afghanistan embassy in Islamabad said on Thursday that Pakistan's imposition of strict conditions on bilateral trade and additional taxes on transit trade is hurting Afghanistan's business community.
But when the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was asked about these news during the weekly press briefing on Thursday, she said that 'this information is wrong.'
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that bilateral trade and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is ongoing. What Pakistan has said is that we will not accept misuse of existing trade facilities, including transit trade facilities.'
He said that the steps taken recently and the decisions to be taken in the coming days will be according to the procedures agreed between the two countries.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained over issues such as the security situation, including those residing illegally. This week, to prevent illegal movement of goods into Pakistan, the government decided to impose 10 percent processing fee on goods imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement, while more than 200 goods were transported to Afghanistan through Afghan Transit Trade. was banned.
A meeting was also held between Pakistan's caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and Afghanistan's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in China's Tibet region on Thursday, in which they also discussed the peace and order situation in the region, including bilateral relations.
This meeting has taken place at a time when all foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan have been asked to leave the country by November 1.
On Thursday, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad made a series of posts on social media platform X on Afghan refugees and bilateral trade relations, alleging that trade was being obstructed by Pakistan.
In these messages, the Embassy of Afghanistan said that "in addition to the problems faced by the Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan is putting a series of obstacles in the way of bilateral trade and Afghan transit."
The Afghan embassy said that 'in the past, due to various reasons, Torkham gate was closed and Afghan goods were stopped at zero points, which caused most of the goods to spoil and the traders had to suffer heavy losses.'
In addition to the problems faced by Afghan immigrants in Pakistan, the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan has created a series of obstacles in the field of Afghan transit and bilateral trade.
It was further said that 'Pakistan has recently raised various issues for the transit of Afghanistan. They recently imposed an illegal embargo on torches, tires, cosmetics, textiles, household goods and other goods, which is in violation of the agreement.
In addition to 10 percent processing fee on certain transit goods, the government of Pakistan has also asked Afghan traders for 100 percent bank guarantee on transit cargo, which is beyond the traders' tolerance, the statement said.
The Afghan Embassy says that the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad has tried several times to resolve this issue through dialogue with them, but despite Pakistan's promises, the problems have increased and this is not in anyone's interest. I am not.'
It was further said that 'the embassy has requested the Pakistani government to remove these obstacles from the Afghan transit sector so that the commercial and bilateral relations of the two countries are not adversely affected.'
Earlier on October 4, the Pakistani army had said in a statement that two Pakistani civilians had lost their lives due to 'unprovoked firing' by Afghan soldiers on the Chaman border.
A statement released by ISPR said that Afghan authorities have been contacted to find out the reasons for such 'irresponsible' and 'reckless' action and to arrest the person responsible and hand them over to Pakistan.
According to the Pakistani military, they expect the interim Afghan government to control its security personnel and maintain discipline to avoid such incidents in the future and act responsibly.
Removal of illegal residents
Pakistan has ordered illegal immigrants, including Afghans, to leave the country by November 1, which has since been condemned by Afghanistan, but Pakistan's stance That the target of the action is not the citizens of a particular country.
In this regard, the Afghan embassy wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the life of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is suffering because of the police.
The post alleged: 'Undocumented as well as documented refugees are being arrested, women and children are being harassed. Such actions are a matter of great concern.'
The life of Afghan refugees has become very difficult because of the police. In addition to the undocumented, refugees with documents are arrested, women and children are harassed and such actions have raised great concern.
This announcement was made on Tuesday by Caretaker Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti in a press conference, in which it was said that by November 1, they (illegal foreigners) should voluntarily go to their respective countries, otherwise they will be deported to the country. will be expelled.'
He further said that 'if the people residing illegally in Pakistan do not go to their country by November 1, all our law enforcement agencies will deport them.'
Pakistan's Federal Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said this week that 14 of the 24 suicide attacks in the country this year involved Afghan nationals.
Meanwhile, Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Khan, Chief of Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, told Independent Urdu that forensic reports of suicide attacks this year revealed that Afghan nationals were involved in 10 of the 15 suicide attacks in the province.
He said that the majority of the nine suicide attacks in other parts of Pakistan are Afghan citizens.
The Afghan Taliban government has asked Pakistan to reconsider the decision. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message on X on Wednesday that Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan's security problems.
Zabihullah Mujahid said that the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is unacceptable, they should review their policy in this regard. Afghan refugees have no hand in Pakistan's security problems.
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that in the Apex Committee meeting headed by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, it has also been decided that 'from November 1, any person, a resident of any country, without passport and visa. He will not enter our country without it.'
According to the Pakistani government, more than 1.7 lakh Afghans are currently living in the country without legal documents, while there are around 1.4 lakh who have been issued Proof of Registration 'POR' cards for their stay.