PESHAWAR: The Afghan Taliban regime on Tuesday announced that it was sending a high-powered delegation to Pakistan to raise concerns over “forced deportation” of Afghan refugees and address issues related to bilateral and transit trade.

The decision was made in a meeting in Kabul with acting commerce and trade minister Nuruddin Azizi in the chair, the Bakhtar News Agency quoted the Afghan Taliban’s media department as saying.

The report added that the purpose of the visit was to raise concerns over issues faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan and address matters related to bilateral and transit trade. It, however, didn’t specify any dates for the visit and said that would take place soon.

The report also said the delegation would include the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, representatives of the directorate of facilitation and investment, foreign ministry, refugees affairs, transport and civil aviation, agriculture, irrigation and private sector. The delegation will be led by Mr Azizi.

Bakhtar News Agency quoted Afghan officials as saying that 8,000 Afghan families had so far returned to Afghanistan via the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham.

The repatriation of Afghan nationals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) has further strained the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, prompting acting foreign minister of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Maulvai Amir Khan Muttaqi to hold a meeting with Pakistan’s acting ambassador Obaidur Rehman Nizamani.

The BNA said Mr Muttaqo expressed “concern and disappointment over the forced deportation of Afghan refugees and the mistreatment by certain Pakistani authorities”, calling such behavior “provocative and harmful to bilateral relations” and urged for a change in approach.”

Islamabad has long been urging Kabul to rein in Pakistani terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Afghan Taliban vehemently deny.

The Emirate’s deputy spokesman, Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, on Monday rebutted the charge, saying Pakistan needs to address its own security problem and blaming Afghanistan for it is contrary to reality.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2025