ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Wednesday no refugees were coming into the country from Afghanistan where the Taliban last week captured the capital, Kabul, after taking over the country city by city.
The Taliban have said they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. But thousands of Afghans, many of whom helped the now withdrawing US-led foreign forces over two decades, are desperate to leave.
Earlier this month Pakistan had deployed its army along its border with Afghanistan to block an anticipated wave of refugees. Top Pakistani officials have repeatedly said the country, which is already home to 1.4 million Afghan refugees, has no capacity to take more.
“No Afghan refugee is coming to Pakistan … that is 100 percent incorrect,” Ahmed said at a press conference in Islamabad, refuting media reports. “Neither Afghan refugees are coming into our side, nor have we made any arrangements for them.”
He added that in the last few days, only 413 people had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, “with visas.”
Ahmed said Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan had returned to Kabul today, Wednesday, by road through the Torkham border crossing, which was open.
He said the situation at the two major border crossings, Torkham and Chaman, was normal and in the past three days nearly 800 trucks had passed through the terminals carrying goods and fruits.
Pakistan has since Sunday been facilitating the evacuation of staff of diplomatic missions, media and other international organizations from Afghanistan.
Ahmed said the evacuation of all Pakistanis will be complete within the next two days.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday Pakistan has already evacuated 1,100 people on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights.
"Pakistan’s commendable evacuation efforts are continuing PIA has again resumed its operations today up till now we have evacuated 1,100 personnel from Kabul," Chaudhry said in a tweet. "PM @ImranKhanPTI has directed all officials in Kabul to facilitate this effort."
