Wrong decision

The November 1 deadline is over, and thousands of Afghan refugees have left the country. Thousands are still in the process of doing so. There is a possibility that this eviction will not produce good results. These refugees have nothing to rely on back in Afghanistan, and for them the eviction is cruel and unjust. According to some social media reports, documented Afghan nationals are also unclear whether they will be told to leave. The Taliban administration in Kabul has also termed the eviction ‘cruel’. If situations get worse, then trade over the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will halt, and there is a possibility of a surge in cross-border attacks as well. This will have a bad impact on Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in terms of politics and the economy. At this time, Pakistan’s economic challenges are far greater than anything else. The caretaker setup should not have taken this deportation decision. Multiple aspects of this eviction convince us strongly that this decision should have been taken by the newly elected National Assembly.

Anwar Sayab Khan

Bannu