The Pakistan government has repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees in its deportation drive since November 2023, Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik said on Wednesday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Responding to a question raised by lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan during a parliamentary session, Malik said around three million Afghan refugees were residing in Pakistan. “Of these, 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ECC) while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards,” he was quoted as saying.

He highlighted that Afghan nationals who wish to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes are welcome to do so provided they obtain a Pakistani visa and carry valid documentation with them.

Earlier this year, the country’s interior ministry asked all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave the country before March 31, warning that they would otherwise be deported from April 1.

Authorities subsequently started deporting thousands of Afghan nationals from all parts of the country.

In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.

Uzbekistan will host the first Termez Dialogue on Connectivity between Central and South Asia from May 19 to 21.

The forum, with the “Building a Common Space of Peace, Friendship, and Prosperity” theme, is being jointly organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.

The event is expected to bring together around 200 participants representing political, economic, and business circles, as well as financial institutions and think tanks from Central and South Asia, Europe, the CIS, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Delegates will include government officials, industry leaders, international organizations, and prominent experts from global research and analytical centers.

The core objective of the Termez Dialogue is to establish a multilateral discussion platform for advancing regional integration and promoting the UN General Assembly resolution “Strengthening the Connectivity between Central and South Asia,” adopted in 2022 at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.

Forum discussions will center on the current state and future prospects of cooperation between the two regions, with a focus on enhancing security, stability, and sustainable development.

Special attention will also be given to increasing the role of the private sector and financial institutions in driving regional economic growth.

One of the key anticipated outcomes of the forum is the adoption of a Communiqué encouraging joint efforts to strengthen trust and cooperation between Central and South Asia.

The Termez Dialogue is envisioned as a permanent platform for fostering strategic dialogue, identifying new opportunities for interregional cooperation, and promoting long-term peace and stability across the Eurasian continent.

A high level delegation from Afghanistan is also expected to attend the dialogue.

Acting Minister of Energy and Water Abdul Latif Mansoor visited the Afghan Embassy during his official trip to Uzbekistan and met with Abdul Ghaffar Bahr, the Islamic Emirate’s ambassador to Tashkent, embassy officials and several Afghan investors.

In a statement issued by the Afghan energy ministry on Wednesday, Mansoor assured the Afghan investors living in Tashkent that IEA is providing the necessary facilities for their investment in Afghanistan.

He urged them to invest in the country’s energy and water sectors, adding that Afghanistan now presents a good opportunity for investors due to improved security.

He emphasized that the IEA is committed to supporting the private sector and has created legal, technical, and administrative facilities for investors.