You are here

  • Home
  • Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year

Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year

Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year
Afghan refugees walk at a registration centre, upon their arrival from Pakistan in Takhta Pul district of Kandahar province on December 18, 2023. (AFP/File)
Short Url

https://arab.news/wsuv2

Updated 10 September 2024
Follow

Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year

Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year
  • 71,193 Afghan nationals were repatriated between August 17 and September 9, says Radio Pakistan
  • Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants until it launch of the deportation drive
Updated 10 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan
Follow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has repatriated more than 713,000 Afghan nationals residing in the country illegally since it launched a deportation drive last year that drew criticism from international rights organizations, state-run media reported on Tuesday.
Last November, Pakistan announced it would deport “illegal immigrants” following a spike in suicide bombings that it blamed on Afghan nationals, though no evidence was provided to support this claim. Pakistani officials also alleged that Afghan citizens were involved in smuggling and other crimes in the country.
The cash-strapped government, grappling with record inflation and a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, also maintained that undocumented migrants had drained its resources for decades.
“According to latest statistics, the total number of illegal Afghan nationals who were repatriated till yesterday [Monday] has reached more than 713,000,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The process of repatriation of the illegal Afghan nationals to their homeland is underway in a dignified manner.”
It added that 71,193 Afghan nationals had been deported from Pakistan between August 17 and September 9.
Until the government initiated the expulsion drive last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, 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 Taliban 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.
International rights organizations have called on Pakistan to review its decision, warning that Afghan nationals deported may suffer from poverty and could face retaliation at the hands of the Afghan Taliban in their homeland.

Topics: Pakistan Afghan Refugees Afghan refugees

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth
Updated 30 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth
  • Pakistan to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya under fresh agreement, says state media
  • Islamabad has sought to bolster international trade in its bid to achieve sustainable economic growth
Updated 30 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kenya on Monday agreed to promote free trade between their countries, state-run media reported on Monday, as Islamabad seeks to achieve sustainable growth and attract investment in its vital economic sectors. 

After narrowly escaping a sovereign default last year before clinching a last-gasp International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, Pakistan has sought to enhance business and investment ties with regional allies and countries such as Russia, Central Asian states and Gulf nations to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. 

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya is one of Pakistan’s largest African trading partners. Trade between the two countries is dominated by two commodities, rice and tea. Pakistan is the largest buyer of Kenyan tea in the world while Kenya is the largest destination for Pakistani basmati and non-basmati rice in the world.

“Pakistan and Kenya have agreed on a free trade agreement and mutual cooperation to enhance business and investment opportunities,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. “Under the agreement, Pakistan is expected to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya while bilateral trade in pharmaceuticals will also be increased.”

The fresh agreement between the two countries is expected to foster economic stability and growth, apart from enhancing their global market positions, Radio Pakistan said. It added that the agreement will also help lower prices, develop industries and increase business opportunities in both Pakistan and Kenya. 

Islamabad and Nairobi established a Joint Ministerial Commission in 1992. Till date, three sessions of the commission have been held since then. The two sides have also established a Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), the first session of which was held in April 2021.

Pakistan’s total trade with Africa was recorded at $ 4.44 billion in 2022-23 of which $ 2.89 billion were imports and $ 1.55 billion were exports. The top three exports destinations for Pakistan in Africa are Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Pakistan’s major exportable items to African countries include rice, textile and clothing, pharmaceuticals, cement, agriculture machinery and paper. 

The South Asian country mainly imports coal, petroleum, diphosphorus, tea, cotton and copper from African countries in return. 

Topics: Pakistan Kenya Ties

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women
Updated 20 min 13 sec ago
Reuters
Follow

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women
  • Operational since 2017, WOW program teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in eastern city of Lahore 
  • WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women since 2017 in Pakistan, where it is rare for women to drive two-wheelers
Updated 20 min 13 sec ago
Reuters

LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistani student Laiba Rashid, 22, hopes her life will change once she learns how to drive a motorcycle after undergoing a training program that teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in the bustling eastern city of Lahore.

Although the program is 7 years old, it’s rare to see women driving motorcycles. Women driving cars or riding pillion on two-wheelers driven by a male relative is more socially acceptable in the conservative nation.

“I hope this will change my life because I am dependent on my brother to pick me up and drop me to college,” Rashid told Reuters on her first day at the Women on Wheels (WOW) driving program offered free by the Lahore traffic police.

Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden, teaches women how to ride a bike while wearing an abaya, during a training session as part of the "Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

She said she wants to buy a motorcycle to go to college, adding that, previously, there were no women drivers in her family. “Now everybody is convinced that women should be independent in their movement to schools, jobs and markets,” she said.

Women driving two-wheelers has been a cultural and religious taboo, said Bushra Iqbal Hussain, a social activist and director of Safe Childhood, an organization advocating the safety of female children.

But more women are now changing the culture, she said, like they did in the 1980s with regular cars, in a bid to reduce their reliance on men to commute.

The WOW program has been in operation since 2017, but has become increasingly popular in recent months as car prices have soared and motorcycles offer a cheaper alternative.

“Stagnant wage growth and high inflation have eroded the purchasing power of the middle class, leaving motorcycles as the only viable option for many households,” said auto sector analyst Muhammad Abrar Polani of investment house Arif Habib Limited.

Ishrat Khan practices riding a motorbike while Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden, observes her during a training session as part of the 'Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

The cheapest four-wheeler in Pakistan, where the annual GDP per capita is $1,590, costs about 2.3 million rupees($8,265) compared to about 115,000 rupees for the most affordable China-made two-wheeler.

Sohail Mudassar, a traffic warden, said the WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women, and Rashid’s batch was the 86th since it started.

“Women of different ages and segments of society join our camp,” said female trainer Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden who has trained about 1,000 women. “Young women are quick learners because they are enthusiastic and take risks.”

Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a teacher at a private school, rides a motorbike during a motorbike training session as part of the "Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

One of them, Ghania Raza, 23, who is pursuing a doctorate in criminology, said learning to drive a two-wheeler gave her a deep sense of achievement and empowerment: “It was like breaking a glass ceiling,” she said.

Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a mother of three and a part-time fashion designer, said she has been driving her husband’s motorcycle to the market and other places after graduating from the program. 

She has designed a special short length abaya, a dress used by Muslim women, to wear while operating the motorcycle.

“Wearing a long abaya with loose fitting poses risks as it may get entangled in the wheels,” she said, adding that she intends to market the design to fellow women riders.

Topics: Pakistan women

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 
Updated 30 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 
  • Transformation plan to be based on 5Es framework, which includes energy, economic growth, exports, equality and education, says state media
  • Eager to escape macroeconomic crisis, Pakistan has sought stronger trade relations with Gulf countries, Russia, Central Asian states and others 
Updated 30 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said Islamabad will launch its five-year National Economic Transformation Plan on Tuesday, state-run media reported, reiterating that it would be based on economic factors that Islamabad needs to address and achieve to ensure long-term progress and stability. 

Iqbal said in July that Pakistan’s National Economic Transformation Plan will be based on the 5Es framework (exports, energy, economic growth, education and equality), adding that it would aim to foster stability and lay the foundation for future growth in Pakistan. 

“Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal says National Economic Transformation Plan for next five years will launch tomorrow [Tuesday],” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. “He said that the transformation plan is based upon several factors which need to be addressed and achieved if Pakistan wants to develop and progress in future.”

Speaking at the passing out ceremony of the officers of the 47th Specialized Training Program of Pakistan Administration Service in Lahore, the minister urged Pakistan to focus its resources on promoting an export-based economy. 

He urged authorities to pay attention on automation, nanotechnology and artificial technology, stressing that these sectors will “reshape future economics.”

“He urged the civil servants to utilize all their capabilities to better manage public issues, as civil service is a huge responsibility rather than just a job,” the state broadcaster said. 

Islamabad has been struggling to recover from a macroeconomic crisis that has plagued the country for the past two years. Inflation in the South Asian country surged to a record high of 38 percent in May 2023 fueled by rising prices of food and fuel, as the country’s national currency weakened against the US dollar while its foreign exchange reserves plummeted to historic lows. 

Pakistan almost suffered a sovereign default before Islamabad clinched a last-gasp $3 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023 that helped its economy stay afloat. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has repeatedly said Islamabad needs to adopt an export-led economy to achieve long-term and sustainable economic growth. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also urged the government to seek greater collaboration in trade, defense, agriculture and other key sectors of the economy to attract foreign investment and brighten Pakistan’s economic prospects. 

In its move to attract foreign investment in key sectors, Pakistan has enhanced its bilateral trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Central Asian states and other Gulf countries. 

Topics: Pakistan economy

10 dead, 7 injured as passenger bus crashes in eastern Pakistan

10 dead, 7 injured as passenger bus crashes in eastern Pakistan
Updated 30 December 2024
Follow

10 dead, 7 injured as passenger bus crashes in eastern Pakistan

10 dead, 7 injured as passenger bus crashes in eastern Pakistan
  • Passenger bus overturned due to driver’s negligence, says motorway police official
  • Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed
Updated 30 December 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Ten people were killed and seven were injured when a passenger bus headed toward Pakistan’s capital overturned and crashed in the eastern city of Fateh Jang on Monday, police said in a statement.

The incident took place on the motorway when a passenger bus from Pakistan’s Bahawalpur city headed toward Islamabad overturned due to the bus driver’s negligence, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said in a statement. 

“Ten people have been killed and seven injured as the bus met with an accident near Fateh Jang city,” the NHMP said, adding that senior officials of the motorways police reached the site of the accident immediately after hearing about it. 

“All bodies and the injured have been shifted to DHQ Fateh Jang [hospital],” it said. 

Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition.
 

Topics: bus accident

Pakistan PM ‘saddened’ as former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100

Pakistan PM ‘saddened’ as former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Updated 30 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan PM ‘saddened’ as former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100

Pakistan PM ‘saddened’ as former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
  • Shehbaz Sharif says Carter will be remember for statesmanship, advocacy for global peace and humanitarian causes
  • Carter won presidency after infamous Watergate scandal and Vietnam War before losing it to Reagan after one term
Updated 30 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday he was “saddened” at the passing of ex-US president Jimmy Carter, saying that the former American leader will be remembered for his statesmanship and advocacy for global peace. 

Carter, the longest-lived American president, died on Sunday at the age of 100 more than a year after entering hospice care at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. 

The former US president won the presidency in the wake of the infamous Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. He went on to endure a humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, building houses for the poor well into his 90s.

“Saddened to learn of the passing away of former US President Jimmy Carter,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 

“I offer my sincere condolences to his family members and the American people. He will long be remembered for his humility and statesmanship as well as his advocacy for global peace and contribution to humanitarian causes.”

Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy.

Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan.

Pakistan has enjoyed varying relations with US presidents over the decades, reflecting ties between the two countries for over 70 years. Islamabad and Washington collaborated during the Cold War and in the fight against Al-Qaeda after 9/11.

However, ties have been strained due to coups in the South Asian country by Pakistan’s military, support for the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule in Afghanistan, and over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program.

With inputs from AP 
 

Topics: Jimmy Carter Pakistan

Latest updates

Riyadh Season’s winter fun draws crowds
Riyadh Season’s winter fun draws crowds
Tourist spending in Saudi Arabia up 27%, reaching nearly $7bn
Tourist spending in Saudi Arabia up 27%, reaching nearly $7bn
Saudi hospital performs first robotic pancreas transplant
Saudi hospital performs first robotic pancreas transplant
Startups of the Year: Zid and Salla revolutionize Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce landscape 
Startups of the Year: Zid and Salla revolutionize Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce landscape 
Saudi oil made up 44.3% of Japan’s imports in November
Saudi oil made up 44.3% of Japan’s imports in November

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.