Kamal Mustafa<\/p>\n
For decades, Pakistan has acted as a haven, a lifeline, for Afghans fleeing the ceaseless storms of conflict ravaging their homeland. We opened our homes with the simple hope of offering safety, a small measure of peace in a world torn by conflict. But that open door, once a symbol of compassion, has become a source of pain, a pathway for those who would repay our generosity with terror. The time for boundless generosity, for turning the other cheek, is definitively over. Pakistan\u2019s recent decision to repatriate Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and all illegal foreigners by March 31, 2025, is not a wrenching choice among many; it is the only viable solution, a desperate but essential act to safeguard the very soul of our nation and reclaim our sovereign right to exist in peace.
\nThe truth, however bitter, must be confronted: the rising tide of terrorist attacks that washes across Pakistan, leaving a trail of shattered lives and broken families, is inextricably, undeniably linked to the uncontrolled flow of individuals across our porous border with Afghanistan. Islamabad has pleaded, cajoled, and repeatedly demanded that the Afghan interim government take responsibility: stop harbouring the terrorists who use your soil as a launching pad for attacks on our people. We have presented irrefutable evidence, painstakingly gathered, of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants operating freely within Afghan territory. The responses? Silence. Denials. Empty promises. A relentless wave of terror attacks within Pakistan casts a stark and accusatory light upon Afghanistan. The identities of neutralized terrorists, recovered from operations such as the one in Bannu and other recent terror attacks, consistently reveal a disturbing commonality: they are Afghan nationals. This recurring pattern transcends mere coincidence; it forms a discernible trend. Badruddin, the son of the Deputy Governor of Afghanistan\u2019s Badghis province, was found among the slain, engaged in terrorist activities inside Pakistan, with his affiliations to the TTA irrefutable. The Afghan government employs strategic ambiguity surrounding terms like \u201cTTA\u201d and \u201cTTP,\u201d but the evidence demonstrates a deliberate tactic: deploying trained Afghan fighters, thus circumventing direct accusations linked to those specific groups. The reality on the ground is unambiguous. These are not isolated acts perpetrated by independent factions; they are trained operatives, deliberately deployed to destabilize Pakistan. This constitutes a covert, undeclared campaign of aggression. The stark and unavoidable conclusion is that a significant proportion, of recent terrorist attacks within Pakistan, are directly linked to Afghan nationals, thus indicating a pattern of state-sponsored terrorism rather than isolated and sporadic incidents. This is calculated state-orchestrated violence. The bodies of Pakistani soldiers and civilians continue to pile up. The Afghan government appears deaf to the language of diplomacy, of hospitality, of shared humanity. It seems the only language they understand is decisive action.
\nIt can sound cruel, the fact, but the massive number, among the 757,008 illegals that were sent back (both voluntarily and those that were forced by our authorities), between November 2023 and last October 2024, after being caught in terrorist and criminal actions, destabilizing our society. There is no other acceptable word, not a claim: Illegal Afghans, are, at a minimum, responsible for the majority, even more, of all those security trouble cases and related situations. Any other answer, except to start sending all back to where they belong, will imply risk, instability, and to give them oxygen. We cannot accept less: all illegals must leave. Our country demands and deserves the chance to rebuild itself.
\nLet\u2019s not delude ourselves with false equivalencies. To frame this necessary repatriation as a violation of humanitarian principles is a cynical distortion, a convenient narrative that conveniently ignores the immense, unsustainable burden Pakistan has carried for years, and alone. We have shouldered the weight of a refugee crisis that should have been a shared global responsibility, stretching our own limited resources to the breaking point. Yes, the UNHCR and the IOM express valid concerns about the humanitarian crisis within Afghanistan, and about the suffering of women and girls. These concerns are real; they are heartbreaking. But can the international community, in good conscience, demand that Pakistan sacrifice its sons and daughters, its stability, on the altar of an unending, intractable conflict? Where are the human rights of Pakistanis to live without the constant, looming threat of terror? Our authorities deserve some consideration, even protection of their dignity.
\nPakistan has extended a generous window for voluntary return, a chance for individuals to depart with a semblance of dignity. It\u2019s not easy to send people back, even those who have broken our laws and, in some cases, threatened our safety. We still aim to do it humanely. But there\u2019s no other way: staying here illegally is a violation, and the law must, and will, be upheld.
\nThis is not about abandoning the vulnerable; it is about acknowledging a painful, inescapable reality: we have reached our limit. We are a lifeboat, overflowing, on the verge of capsizing. To continue pulling people in is to ensure everyone drowns. We must make the agonizing, but ultimately life-saving, decision to secure the boat, to protect those already on board. Among those seeking refuge, the Afghan government allows terrorists that seek, not sanctuary, but the opportunity to strike Pakistan. This is a cancer that must be surgically removed.
\nThe repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals is the only remaining solution. It is an act born of sorrow, of deep frustration, of profound disappointment, but above all, of an unwavering resolve to protect the future of Pakistan. It is a message, etched in the tears of grieving families, the blood of our martyrs, and the steely determination of our security forces: Pakistan\u2019s generosity has been met with treachery, violence, with blatant disregard for our sovereignty. That era is over. The price of continued inaction is simply too high, paid in the precious lives of our citizens. The Afghan government has shown, repeatedly, that it will not, or cannot, address the threat emanating from its territory. We are left with no choice. We must act decisively and without hesitation to protect ourselves.<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelance columnist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kamal Mustafa For decades, Pakistan has acted as a haven, a lifeline, for Afghans fleeing the ceaseless storms of conflict ravaging their homeland. We opened our homes with the simple hope of offering safety, a small measure of peace in a world torn by conflict. But that open door, once a symbol of compassion, has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13461],"class_list":{"0":"post-466134","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-kamal-mustafa"},"yoast_head":"\n