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MSF ‘deeply concerned’ over new phase of deportations of Afghans from Pakistan
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Wednesday it was deeply concerned for the rights and welfare of Afghan refugees in Pakistan in the wake of the recent announcement by Islamabad that it plans to start Phase Two of the deportation campaign.
Pakistan is home to an estimated 3.7 million Afghans, and a reported 500,000 have crossed the border so far.
Many Afghans living in Pakistan have been there for decades and have spent more time in the country than their country of origin, without any legal recourse to remain in the only place they can effectively call “home”.
For many Afghans, Islamabad’s “repatriation” campaign means packing up their belongings and carrying them on a horse, cart, car and bus and traveling en masse to a country that is already struggling with widespread poverty, inadequate health services and increased restrictions on women, MSF said in a statement.
The second phase of the deportations leaves an estimated 800,000 Pakistan-issued Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders vulnerable to return, while phase three is expected to result in the further deportation of UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders, MSF said.
MSF first started working in Pakistan in 1986, and today provides much-needed medical care to people in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and UN agencies estimate that more than half a million people have been deported from Pakistan or voluntarily returned to Afghanistan in the past six months.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said last month that nearly two million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan and that the agency needs $368 million this year to assist these people.
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Turkish ministers to visit Pakistan amid fragile truce with Afghanistan: Erdogan
The visit aims to help secure a lasting truce and promote peace between Islamabad and Kabul.
A high-level Turkish delegation comprising the foreign and defense ministers as well as the intelligence chief will travel to Pakistan this week to discuss ongoing efforts toward a ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday.
According to an official readout of Erdogan’s remarks made aboard his return flight from Baku — where he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — the visit aims to help secure a lasting truce and promote peace between Islamabad and Kabul.
Erdogan said Türkiye is “closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” expressing hope that the talks mediated by Ankara would lead to “lasting stability” in the region.
He added that Türkiye and Pakistan are also seeking to deepen cooperation in multiple sectors, particularly trade, energy, and defense industries.
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Afghan and Iranian foreign ministers discuss regional issues in phone call
Muttaqi also noted that during the third round of discussions, the Pakistani side had been unwilling to take responsibility for certain issues, which hindered progress and prevented concrete outcomes.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a telephone conversation on Sunday with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, focusing on bilateral relations and key regional developments.
According to a statement from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers exchanged views on the recent Afghanistan-Pakistan talks in Istanbul, as well as broader efforts to strengthen cooperation and stability in the region.
Araghchi underscored the importance of resolving differences between Kabul and Islamabad through diplomatic dialogue and reiterated Iran’s readiness to assist in facilitating constructive engagement between the two neighboring countries.
In turn, Muttaqi said that the Afghan delegation had taken part in the Istanbul talks under the guidance of the Islamic Emirate’s leadership, with a focus on achieving a peaceful and negotiated settlement to ongoing tensions. He emphasized that Afghanistan remains committed to resolving disputes through diplomacy and mutual understanding.
Muttaqi also noted that during the third round of discussions, the Pakistani side had been unwilling to take responsibility for certain issues, which hindered progress and prevented concrete outcomes.
The conversation highlighted both countries’ shared interest in promoting regional stability and expanding cooperation across political and economic fronts.
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Erdogan meets Sharif, urges Pakistan, Afghanistan to uphold ceasefire
During a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku on Saturday, Erdogan said Türkiye is “closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emphasized the need to maintain the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku on Saturday, Erdogan said Türkiye is “closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
He expressed hope that the talks being held under Türkiye’s mediation would lead to lasting stability in the region and affirmed Ankara’s continued support for the process.
Erdogan noted that Türkiye and Pakistan are deepening cooperation across various sectors, including trade, energy, and defense. He also stressed the importance of sustaining the ceasefire in Gaza and called for ongoing engagement through the United Nations framework.
Both leaders were in Baku to attend Azerbaijan’s Victory Day ceremony on November 8, where they observed a military parade marking the occasion.
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