-Interior Minister says Indian media spreading lies about Pakistan-Afghan border situation
-Claims peace at the Torkham and Chaman borders
-Adds 613 Pakistanis have so far been brought back
-Shares govt’s decision to bring back all Pakistanis willing to return
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Wednesday said that the India media is spreading lies about the situation at the Pak-Afghan border.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he rejected the Indian propaganda, saying there is complete peace and tranquility at the Torkham and Chaman borders. He maintained that the border crossings with Afghanistan are open for movement, trade and transit visa facility.
“Interior Ministry offices are open 24 hours a day,” Rasheed said, adding: “Immigration and FIA officials, besides others .are present at all airports and borders.”
Speaking of Pakistani nationals, he said that the government has decided to evacuate them from Afghanistan within two days. He said 613 Pakistanis have so far been brought back from Afghanistan since August 14, adding that the evacuation mission will be completed by Friday. Three buses with over 100 Pakistanis, including women and children, on board were cleared early this morning at the Torkham border, the interior minister added.
The minister said that Pakistan had evacuated around 900 foreign officials and diplomats from Afghanistan, and added that a special cell had been established in the interior ministry which was functioning 24 hours.
The interior minister said immigration officials have been instructed to provide visas on arrival to diplomats and foreign media. “No Afghan refugees are coming to Pakistan. We are giving transit visas to all diplomats, media and staff of other institutions,” he said. Responding to a question, the interior minister said that neither Pakistan will interfere in Afghanistan nor will it allow anyone in Pakistan.
The interior minister expressed the confidence that the situation will improve in Afghanistan. Days earlier, Rasheed said that Pakistan had taken the Afghan Taliban on board over the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issue, hoping that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against Pakistan.The interior minister was responding to reports of the release of key TTP commanders from jails in Afghanistan, as the Taliban took over the country.
Maulana Faqir Mohammad, the former deputy chief of the TTP, was also released as the Taliban took hold of the capital on Sunday. “The outlawed TTP and Daesh militants are present in the mountainous ranges of Nooristan and Nighar,” he said. “We have taken the Taliban on-board over the TTP issue and told them that Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used against Afghanistan,” he said.
