'In line with international practice', FM defends deportation of illegal Afghans.

TIBET -- Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani defended the government's decision to deport all illegal immigrants, including Afghans, from the country on Friday and termed the decision "in line with international practice".

Jilani further said no other country allows illegal immigrants like Pakistan has in the past forty years.

'No country allows illegal people to live in their country whether it is Europe, whether it is countries in Asia, in our neighbourhood,' Jilani said in an interview with Hong Kong's Phoenix TV on the sidelines of a forum in Tibet.

'So, accordingly this is in line with the international practice that we have taken this decision,' he added.

He added that Pakistan has been accommodating millions for the past four decades but now it is time for illegal refugees to return to their home country - especially since the situation in Afghanistan had 'stabilised.'

'Whenever there was any problem, people would immigrate to Pakistan, take refuge in Pakistan. But now I think it has been more than 40 years, so the government of Pakistan has taken a decision,' Jilani said.

The minister further stated that the decision to evict aliens came after 'a long time' of discussions. Jilani also called on international humanitarian agencies to help with the process.

The decades-long conflict in Afghanistan culminated around mid-2021, marked by the return of the Taliban to power as foreign forces led by the United States withdrew and the government supported by the US crumbled in the face of a...