Islamabad [Pakistan], December 8 : Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday said illegal foreigners are "seriously affecting Pakistan's security and economy", the Dawn newspaper reported.
Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper.
The COAS then backed the Pakistan government's decision to deport illegal foreigners.
As per a handout issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief made these remarks during a visit to Peshawar.
The caretakers in November initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other quarters, the government refused to budge, insisting the move was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates that 1.7 million are undocumented. So far, thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.
Last week, while hearing petitions challenging the deportation drive, the Supreme Court said Pakistan was bound by United Nations conventions protecting immigrants and issued notices to the government on the matter.
During a session with participants of the First National Workshop Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (NWKP-1) today, General Munir said: "Illegal foreigners are seriously affecting Pakistan's security and economy."
"[The] decision to repatriate them has been taken by the government in the interest of Pakistan. Illegal foreigners are being repatriated to their countries in a humane and dignified manner as per the established norms," the military's media wing quoted him as saying, as per Dawn.
The COAS further said that KP's "resolute support" to security forces had resulted in stability in the province and the materialisation of progress on projects of social economic development.
He linked the prosperity of Pakistan with KP and emphasised that "nefarious designs of the forces inimical to the peace and stability of Pakistan are being foiled through a synergetic and comprehensive strategy".
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