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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has repatriated over 1.5 million Afghan citizens since November 2023, state-run media reported this week, since the country launched a nationwide drive to expel what it said were foreigners. 

Pakistan launched a repatriation drive of foreign citizens that began in November 2023, with hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals expelled since. The government initially said it was first focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories, such as Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) — a document launched in 2017 to grant temporary legal status to Afghan refugees — would be included later.

Earlier this year, the country’s interior ministry asked all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave the country before Mar. 31, warning that they would otherwise be deported from April 1. Authorities subsequently started deporting thousands of Afghan nationals from all parts of the country.

“Repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland continues in a dignified manner,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.

“As per the official statistics, about 15 lakh sixty thousand Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland so far.”

The state broadcaster said Islamabad had reopened its key northwestern Torkham border pass on Saturday to allow Afghan refugees to return to their country. 

The border pass was closed last month as tensions spiked between Pakistan and Afghanistan following fierce border clashes that left dozens dead and even more injured. 

Islamabad has stressed that Afghan nationals who wish to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes are welcome to do so provided they obtain a Pakistani visa and carry valid documentation with them.

In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.

The deportation drive was launched in November 2023 after Islamabad witnessed a surge in suicide attacks and militancy that it blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing evidence.

Local and international rights organizations have accused Pakistani authorities of harassing Afghan nationals while forcefully repatriating them. The same has been accused by the Afghan Taliban, who have called on Islamabad to allow its nationals to return to their homeland with dignity. Islamabad denies the harassment allegations.

“The repatriation process is being carried out under proper legal procedures,” Radio Pakistan said. “Permission to cross the border is being given only after verification of each person’s documents.”

It added that the paramilitary Frontier Corps and civil administration have arranged food and accommodation for the returning Afghan refugees.

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy announced on Saturday it will host the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) 2025 next week, bringing together representatives from more than 40 countries to promote investment and cooperation in the country’s maritime sector.

The announcement was made during a media briefing at the Karachi Expo Center, where Commander Karachi Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi said the expo aimed to advance Pakistan’s blue economy roadmap.

“The event will witness representation from almost every region of the world,” he said, according to an official statement.

The second edition of the exhibition will run from Nov. 3 to 6, featuring 178 exhibitors — including 28 international firms and 150 local organizations — as well as 133 delegations from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America.

Officials and representatives from 44 countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, ��������, Iran, Türkiye, Egypt, China and Australia, will also attend.

Abbasi added that the Sindh and Balochistan governments would also set up pavilions to highlight investment opportunities in coastal and maritime industries.

The expo will include business-to-business and business-to-government meetings, signing of memorandums of understanding and other high-level interactions to build partnerships in ports, shipping, fisheries and coastal development.

Running alongside the exhibition, the International Maritime Conference — organized by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs — will take place from Nov. 4 to 5 under the theme “Harnessing Blue Economy Potential for Sustainable Development.”

The statement added its four sessions will feature 14 papers presented by national and international scholars and industry experts.