The Chief Minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Ali Amin Gandapur, announced on Friday that his government will not expel Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, citing humanitarian concerns and traditional values.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Gandapur said, “It’s our clear policy. No Afghan will be forced to return in conditions where the Afghan government neither owns them nor provides accommodation or food.”
He stressed that peace in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region can only be achieved through dialogue, not force.
Pakistan’s federal government has announced that all illegal foreigners and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders must leave the country by March 31, 2025, or face deportation starting April 1, a deadline that was later extended due to Eid al-Fitr.
In October 2023, Pakistan announced phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” with a 30-day deadline for “undocumented” individuals to leave the country or be ready to face action.
Officials claim that around 700,000 Afghans seeking asylum have trickled into Pakistan since the Taliban takeover four years ago. However, only 75,000 have so far moved to other countries.
Gandapur also criticized Pakistan’s federal government for failing to release funds owed to his province under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
“I pray for President Zardari’s swift recovery from COVID-19 because he has to release KP’s NFC payment in April,” he said. He added that if the payment is not made, he will lead a march to Islamabad with KP’s police, administration, and government workers.
He said the central government owes the province PKR 75 billion under the NFC and 11 months of pending payments under the Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP).
Gandapur denied rumors that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan instructed him to open dialogue with the country’s powerful establishment.
“I met Imran Khan after a long time. We discussed law and order, terrorism, and our borders. He did not ask me to negotiate,” Gandapur said.
He described his stance as independent. “I’m not afraid of anyone. If they want to increase hate, we also have arms, and we know how to fight.”
He added that Khan advised PTI members never to defame institutions. “Many things happened to me personally, but I never told Khan because I didn’t want to fuel hate,” Gandapur said. “But if they want to go that way, we will respond.”
Efforts in Kurra
Gandapur also spoke about efforts to resolve the long-running conflict in the Kurram district.
He said his government is covering payments for the Bakakhel camp and the 103-year-old Kurram conflict, both responsibilities he claimed belong to the federal government.
To promote long-term peace, he said, KP has removed bunkers, held grand jirgas with local leaders, and allocated PKR 1 billion to install CCTV cameras and security checkpoints.
Gandapur complained that the federal government denied him the use of a C-130 aircraft for Kurram operations.
"The federal government refused to provide a C-130 aircraft, so now my helicopter is operating there like a rickshaw,” he added.
