Pakistan says it will expel hundreds of thousands more Afghans in a continued clampdown on migrants

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says authorities will expel hundreds of thousands more Afghans who have been living in Pakistan for years, the latest in a monthslong government clampdown on undocumented migrants. Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters on Thursday that this would be the “second phase” of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” and it would involve persons who have Afghan citizen cards and who are registered as such with Islamabad. However, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run government in Kabul has urged Pakistan to give more time for Afghans to leave the country. Such previous actions have also drawn sweeping criticism from the United Nations, aid agencies, and human rights groups.