Former Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has questioned the “strong-arm” tactics used to deport illegal Afghan immigrants and called for “distinguishing between terrorists and people”.

Talking to reporters in Karachi, Bhutto-Zardari said robust measures needed against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shouldn’t be used against civilians.

“A distinction must be made between people and terrorists while devising any policy,” Bhutto-Zardari added. “If you go against people, you will never achieve your target.”

In reply to a question, the former foreign minister said there was a “lack of clarity” in the caretaker government’s policy about the repatriation of illegal Afghan immigrants.

Pakistan’s government had initially warned Afghan immigrants residing illegally in Pakistan to voluntarily leave by November 1. Now, the authorities have decided to expand the action and announced the plan to deport even registered Afghans, according to Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign ministry has rebuffed criticism over the deportation of, what it called, illegal Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan and said the actions were in line with the established international laws.
Answering a question during her weekly press briefing on Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the policy was reflective of Pakistan’s desire to implement its own laws, which include sanctions on individuals who are residing illegally.

“These laws are similar in many countries, including the United States”, she remarked.

The policy is being implemented “with full confidence that it was in conformity with international practice”.

She claimed the policy doesn’t apply to individuals who have confirmed refugee status in Pakistan and that the government was “sensitive to the concerns some of these individuals may have regarding their return to Afghanistan”.

On the policy vis-a-vis Afghan individuals destined to be settled in third countries, she said Pakistan was in contact with these countries, including the US, to work out the modalities for the settlement process.