In a press conference, Muttaqi emphasized that the incumbent Afghan Government seeks good relations with all countries, especially with neighboring nations.

We exepect that after the elections in Pakistan and the creation of a new government, as some senior officials have commented positively, the situation will improve. The most important thing is that people on both sides are very poor, their economy and security are important and we have been cooperating in all sectors, the Foreign Minister said.

The senior Islamic Emirate official pointed out that the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan was a political pressure tactic, and emphasized that the presence of this population in Pakistan poses no threat to the country.

If these refugees were a security threat, they have been there for 40 years, why weren’t they a threat before? Now there are millions of people there, why were they not a threat until now? These reasons cannot be justified, Muttaqi pointed out.

These statements follow the forced deportation of nearly half a million Afghans, with Pakistan setting late February as the deadline for the remaining refugees to leave the country.

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