No Deadline Extension for Deportation of Illegal Immigrants, Says Pakistani Minister

Sarfaraz Bugti, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, said that his country currently has no plans to extend the deadline for the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Bugti also said that the decision to deport illegal immigrants after November 1 was "misinterpreted" and Pakistan's target was not to only deport Afghan illegal immigrants.

The government of Pakistan recently announced that all illegal immigrants living in the country have until November 1 to leave Pakistan.

This decision faced a lot of criticism in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Several human rights organisations also expressed concern about the Pakistani government’s decision.

Addressing the Pakistani Senate on Wednesday, Bugti said that Pakistan's announcement about the deportation of illegal foreign immigrants has been "misunderstood”.

Bugti clarified, "We talked about deporting illegal residents, but this message was spread in such a way that we are deporting only Afghans. The government's message was not only for Afghans; it was for all illegal immigrants."

He said that the Pakistani government will also deport illegal Iranian immigrants who belong to the Baloch ethnic group.

Pakistan's interior minister added that anyone with a refugee card or visa is "our guest".