US official holds meeting in Pakistan to discuss Afghan deportation plan

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 6 (ANI): A senior US Administration official dealing with refugees and migration, Julieta Valls Noyes, held a meeting with foreign secretary Cyrus Qazi and Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, The Express Tribune reported on Tuesday.
According to the daily, the foreign office issued no press release, but Noyes shared on X with an image of her meeting with Ambassador Durrani with a terse statement stating, "Good to visit Pakistan Foreign Ministry and see special representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani again today (Tuesday) for discussion on Afghan refugees, protection and resettlement."
The US official began her four-day trip to Pakistan with a series of meetings at the foreign office on Tuesday and is first of three Biden administration officials that are visiting Pakistan within the next few days.
The Express Tribune stated in its report that she will continue to meet other senior officials during her stay in Pakistan in what seems like an effort on the part of Washington to find a solution to those stranded Afghan individuals who are eligible for migration to the US.
Pakistan, earlier, launched a crackdown against Afghans living in the country illegally following the expiration of the deadline on October 31.
The Express Tribune reported that since the decision, the US has been in touch with Pakistan to ensure that Afghans who are eligible for immigration to the US are spared.
There are about 25,000 Afghans, who according to Washington, are in Pakistan and waiting for their immigration to the US.
Those Afghans worked for the US during its military campaign in Afghanistan. But after the US withdrawal, they have been stuck in Pakistan, waiting for the process of immigration to complete.
The US has been working with Pakistan to find a workable solution to prevent Afghan immigrants from being deported to their homeland, The Express Tribune reported.
There are also concerns that other than such Afghans, there are individuals such as musicians, artists, journalists and others who may be evicted. The US is keen that such vulnerable Afghans are not touched either.
Pakistani officials said their cases would be scrutinised accordingly, making it clear that in the first phase, those who don't have any legal status are being sent back.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West is due in Islamabad later this week to discuss the overall Afghan situation particularly the current state of the relationship between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, the daily reported. (ANI)