Pakistan says it can no longer support the influx of Afghan refugees and wishes to deport them.
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At a meeting of Pakistan's senior civilian and military officials, it was concluded that the country cannot stand the cost of offering sanctuary to Afghan immigrants any longer.
The government will now return Afghans and other foreigners who are unlawfully staying in Pakistan, according to the new directive.
Citizens of the adjacent countries whose visas have expired will be allowed to return home for three months.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan committed to offer comprehensive humanitarian aid to Kabul in order to preserve the country from turmoil. Pakistan's senior authorities agreed that foreign powers' ignorance of Afghan difficulties may lead to calamity, and expressed hope that the error of isolating this state would not be repeated.
The return of refugees would further deepen Afghanistan's humanitarian problems and complicate the Taliban's mission 1. (the organization is banned in the Russian Federation). This action runs counter to Imran Khan's outpouring of affection and support for his beleaguered neighbor.
However, Pakistan's financial situation is dire: inflation is at an all-time high, and the country's public debt has nearly doubled in the last few years. Keeping Afghans costs the country's already-depleted finances, and sending them back is a question of economic necessity.
OIC Summit in Pakistan
The 17th exceptional session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Council of Foreign Ministers was attended by around 70 delegations from member nations, international assistance organisations, and special representatives. Saudi Arabia started it, and Pakistan hosted it.
The gathering has grown to be the largest international conference on Afghanistan since the fall of Ashraf Ghani's US-backed administration in August.
Delegates agreed to cooperate with the UN to unlock $ 100 million in blocked Afghan assets in order to deal with the country's escalating humanitarian situation. Participants at the conference unanimously decided to establish a Humanitarian Trust Fund, begin a Food Security Program, and collaborate with the World Health Organization to provide vaccines and medical supplies to Afghans.
The latest OIC resolution provides a glimmer of hope for 22.8 million Afghans, more than half of whom are food insecure. Due to the country's crises, around 3.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant and lactating mothers are at danger of malnutrition. The international meeting's final text includes a statement of sympathy with Afghan residents.
The exceptional meeting was scheduled in response to the publication of the most recent UN study findings. Experts discovered that 60% of Afghanistan's 38 million people are suffering from a "hunger catastrophe," and the situation is deteriorating by the day. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, 665,000 people would be displaced in Afghanistan between January and September 2021, in addition to the 2.9 million who have already relocated as a result of the fighting.
Pakistan focuses on SEZ
Pakistan's economy is mainly reliant on exports. This is because having access to foreign cash will help the nation to fund imports, arrest the rupee's devaluation, and pay off debts.
Large-scale industrialisation and diversification of the export base should be used to address these concerns.
To attain this aim, Islamabad is pursuing a policy to encourage "Made in Pakistan" import substitution. Its objectives are to boost value-added exports and to assist enterprises in localizing. The program's purpose is to persuade businesses to create goods and services in the state rather than imports that breach the trade balance.
To address this issue, the country's officials implemented the idea of special economic zones (SEZ). They are intended to attract domestic and foreign investors to invest in industrial infrastructure, transfer technology, and generate jobs. It is expected to build nine SEZs in all, with some of them currently under construction.
Islamabad wishes to follow Beijing's lead in developing them. China developed the first special economic zone in 1980. According to statistics, the PRC's national SEZs account for around 22 percent of GDP, 45 percent of foreign direct investment, and approximately 60 percent of exports in recent years. They are said to have employed over 30 million Chinese, improved the earnings of participating farmers by 30%, and hastened agricultural modernisation and urbanization.
Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia jointly launch TV channel
Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister, announced the establishment of a television station to increase media collaboration between Islamabad, Ankara, and Kuala Lumpur. All three nations will establish focal points for information exchange.
The introduction of the dedicated channel was initially announced in September 2019, when the presidents of Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia agreed to collaborate on the creation of an English-language television station dedicated to combating Islamophobia and eradicating "misconceptions" about Muslims. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement during a trilateral meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.
Imran Khan calls decision to join the war on terrorism "dollar greed"
In a speech delivered during the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, Pakistan's prime minister criticized his country's participation in the fight on terrorism in Afghanistan almost 20 years ago.
"I am well aware of the factors that led to this conclusion." Unfortunately, no one considered the people of Pakistan. The motives were the same as they were in the 1980s, when we took part in the Afghan jihad (we are talking about the Afghan-Soviet war - ed.). "We are accountable because we allow ourselves to be used, we compromise our reputation, and we conduct foreign policy that is antithetical to the national interest for money," Imran Khan added.
The prime minister stated that the situation in Afghanistan is critical not only because it is Pakistan's neighbor, but also because the nation is in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe.
"We've been talking about it since the first day, August 15 [when the Taliban took over Kabul]." "Whether you favor or dislike the Taliban leadership, 40 million people are on the verge of annihilation," he warned.
"Religious extremist parties" threaten Pakistan
According to Fawad Chaudhry, Information Minister, "religious extremist groups" such as the recently legalized Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl are eventually damaging the country's political scene.
The minister addressed to the media the day after the prime minister's political party faced major hurdles in the first round of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa municipal elections. According to the results of the election, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl got the most seats in local government.
The minister feels that the cause for the electoral setback is obvious.
"When three or four candidates from the same party run in the same seat, they will undoubtedly lose." "This is exactly what happened in the majority of locations," he stated.
He recalled Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl destroying the education and financial sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2002.
"Unfortunately, such an organization earned people's acceptance as a result of our blunders." This is indicative of societal regress. This is an indication that things in the country are not going well. It is not encouraging when persons come to power who oppose women's rights and fundamental freedoms," said the Minister.
Experts have long been concerned about the radicalization of Pakistan's internal policy actors. Since the "Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan" obtained legality and amnesty for the most active members by blocking national roads, it has become clear that Imran Khan's administration has nothing to challenge such formations. It is compelled to make compromises and concessions, which helps them.
Permission to vote in elections may result in a democratically elected extremist Islamic organization taking power in the country. Because Pakistan is a nuclear power, the ramifications for the whole globe will be disastrous.
After a 10-year absence, the freight train Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad restarts service
After a 10-year break, freight train services between Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan reopened last week. This event has become a significant incentive for regional trade.
The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad freight train was established in 2009, but it was discontinued in 2011 owing to a number of issues in Pakistan. The railway travels between the three nations in around 14 days, which is significantly quicker and less expensive than the alternative maritime route.
The train will pass through Pakistan for 1990 kilometers before crossing the Taftan border and going on to Iran. The train will travel around 1,850 kilometers via Turkey, passing through Ankara before arriving in Istanbul.
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a ten-member local engagement group, was founded by Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran. It was founded in 1964 under the name Regional Development Cooperation, but in 1985 it was renamed ECO.
The decision to restore freight rail traffic was taken at the 2020 conference of ministers from the association's member countries.