Pakistan’s interior minister has declared a deadline of 31st march for all unregistered afghan immigrants and those holding afghan citizens card to return home failing which they would face deportation and detention. While this repatriation drive has been ongoing since October 2023 it seems that Pakistan wants to step up the pressure. Since the beginning of the afghan jihad in the mid 80s about 4 million afghans have migrated to Pakistan from time to time and the declaration may affect at least 2 million people. This might be a measure to pressurize the taliban administration to fall in line but might aggravate the situation in already restive FATA region. The Pakistan army cannot abandon its theory of strategic depth either. As the trump administration is also withdrawing from the region as it is building ties with Russia, Pakistan needs to recalibrate its foreign and strategic policies.
