Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Wednesday rejected allegations by the Afghan chargé d’affaires that Islamabad was mistreating Afghan refugees in the country, describing them as “misplaced” and calling on Kabul to ensure its nationals’ smooth repatriation.

Pakistan’s response comes a few hours after the Afghan embassy in Islamabad issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, saying Afghan nationals in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.

Islamabad launched a deportation drive in 2023 mainly targeting Afghan nationals after a spike in suicide bombings which the Pakistan government, without providing evidence, says were carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed them for smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.

The Afghan embassy said Pakistan’s foreign ministry has confirmed that there is a “definitive and final plan” to deport all Afghan refugees from the entire country in the near future. Pakistan has so far deported over 800,000 Afghan nationals since it launched the deportation drive in 2023.

“We have noted the remarks made by the Afghan Charge d’ Affaires in Islamabad, about Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” the foreign office said.

“His assertions regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced,” the ministry added.

It said that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades “with respect and dignity” with little support from the international community.

The foreign office said Islamabad began its deportation drive against illegal immigrants in 2023 and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one is mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.

It said Pakistani authorities extensively engaged Afghanistan to ensure a smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals.

“While Pakistan has done what it could, we expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan so that these returnees are fully integrated in the Afghan society,” the foreign office said.

“The real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that the rights of these people about whom the Afghan Cd’A talked are protected in Afghanistan.”

Other than Afghan officials, international rights agencies have also expressed concerns over the alleged harassment of Afghan nationals by Pakistani law enforcement agencies.

In January, Amnesty International expressed its concern over reports of arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers by law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.

Until the government initiated the expulsion drive in 2023, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees out of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures.

Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Islamic Emirate took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.