HUNDREDS of thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees are returning to their country. In principle, it makes perfect sense. No country allows illegal foreign nationals to stay on its land. Pakistan, too, has that right. Notably, at this stage, only undocumented refugees are being obliged to return home. The caretaker interior minister said in a Senate hearing that the government would want the return of refugees to proceed without any manhandling, and with immediate redressal of complaints.
However, since this forced return has coincided with the steep rise of terrorism in Pakistan, a correlation has developed in the public consciousness that the expulsion of Afghan refugees is Pakistan’s answer to the Taliban government’s non-cooperation on the issue of the TTP, which is carrying out terrorist acts against Pakistan. This perception needs to be addressed.