Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has expressed concern that Pakistani institutions may be using the ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees as a cover to transfer Islamic State (ISIS) militants into Afghanistan.
In a post published on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Khalilzad wrote: "Knowledgeable people tell me that they are concerned that the Pakistan establishment might well be using the expulsion of Afghan refugees as a cover to send ISIS terrorist to Afghanistan. I share this concern."
The remarks come amid increasing scrutiny over the humanitarian and security implications of Pakistan’s mass deportation campaign, which has seen hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals forced to leave the country.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, ISIS has carried out numerous deadly attacks across the country.
Pakistan has previously accused the Taliban of failing to curb the growing threat posed by ISIS. In March 2025, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, warned of rising terrorist threats originating from Afghan soil. He asserted that the Taliban had been ineffective in controlling ISIS and alleged Taliban collusion in attacks conducted by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Pakistan.
Akram called for the UN Security Council to urgently address the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
The Taliban, however, have repeatedly denied such accusations and claim to have taken significant steps to eliminate ISIS presence within the country.
