Pakistan has begun mass deportation of Afghans residing in the country, including thousands of people who escaped the Taliban's rule and who are at risk of persecution at home after the country fell to the Taliban two years ago. While the Pakistan government claims Afghans have been involved in militant attacks and crime in the country, the motive behind this mass deportation is deeply political. Islamabad is now trying to pressure the Taliban government, which does not recognize the Durand Line as the international border. Islamabad’s hopes of the Taliban cracking down on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have also been dashed as the Taliban claims the terror group has nothing to do with the government in Kabul. Hindustan Times’ Executive Editor Shishir Gupta decodes the reasons behind and the implications of the mass deportation of Afghans from Pakistan in this episode of Point Blank.
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