Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Tuesday discussed the protection of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Pakistan amid several other bilateral issues during a meeting in Islamabad, a statement from the US Embassy said.

A large number of Afghan immigrants, with an estimated 1.7 million undocumented as of October 2023, reside in Pakistan. Last year, the then caretaker government announced the repatriation of all illegal foreigners citing security concerns.

The decision was allegedly made for Afghan refugees, but officials denied it.

According to a statement issued by US Mission spokesperson Jonathan Lalley, US Ambassador Blome met Deputy Prime Minister Dar today and discussed issues which included the “protection of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, economic cooperation, security, and counterterrorism and regional cooperation”.

It said that the ambassador welcomed the opportunity to hear from the deputy premier on Pakistan’s “priorities in the lead-up to the UN General Assembly” as the country prepared to begin its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Pakistan launched the first round of deportation in November last year, and according to state-run Radio Pakistan, 675,190 Afghans have returned to their country as of August 4 under the drive.

While the government had decided to begin the second round of repatriation of holders of Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC), it last month granted 1.45m Afghan refugees another year, extending their permitted stay in Pakistan till June 30, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee for Refugees urged the government to “remember that ordinary Afghans in Pakistan are not security threats … but ordinary families who have made Pakistan their home or themselves fled the Taliban”.

It said the government must push the West to take its share of asylum-seekers and refugees, and to speed up processing so that families could be reunited within Pakistan.

“Hastily announced expulsion programmes only result in harm to families and individuals who are a part Pakistan.”

Enhanced bilateral cooperation

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) said that the discussion between Dar and Blome covered various aspects of the bilateral relationship between the countries, including avenues for enhanced cooperation in diverse fields.

“They also discussed matters relating to the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly,” the FO said.

Pakistan was elected with a massive majority as a non-permanent member of the UNSC last month, pledging to contribute to meeting the challenges that the world was facing.

Pakistan will replace Japan on January 1, 2025, to begin a record eighth term, which would continue for two years.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will arrive in New York on September 21 to participate in the UN-sponsored Summit of the Future and the UN General Assembly session.

The debate at the UNGA will begin on Sept 24 and run through Sept 28. PM Shehbaz is slated to address the General Assembly on Sept 27, the day following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address.

The discussions are expected to focus on the Gaza crisis. Following its election to the UN Security Council earlier this year, Pakistan has amplified its role in addressing concerns related to Gaza and Kashmir.

During his visit, PM Shehbaz will also hold bilateral meetings with various world leaders to discuss mutual interests. He will attend the annual reception hosted by the US president and engage with prominent members of the Pakistani-American community.