ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has clarified that it has not decided to send all Afghan students back to Afghanistan, saying students holding valid educational visas and university registrations will not be deported.
During the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Afghan students who have educational visas but are not registered with a university are being sent back. However, students who possess both valid visas and university registration are not being returned.
The spokesperson also clarified that a statement attributed to the Punjab chief minister had been misquoted, adding that the Punjab government spokesperson had already issued an explanation.
Pakistan Seeks Peaceful and Stable Afghanistan
The Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s position that Afghan territory is being used for terrorism against Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghan citizens for nearly four decades, with the Afghan population in Pakistan reaching around 4.5 million at its peak. Pakistan provided Afghan citizens space in homes, offices, sports grounds and other places.
Following the repatriation process for undocumented foreigners, a large number of Afghan citizens have returned to Afghanistan. However, more than one million Afghans are still present in different parts of Pakistan, with the exact figure to be provided later.
The spokesperson said Pakistan wants a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and seeks friendly relations with its neighbouring country. He stressed that preventing terrorism originating from Afghanistan is essential for improving bilateral relations.
According to the spokesperson, terrorists operating from Afghan soil are present in different areas and receive funding from Afghanistan as well as other countries, including India.
He said Pakistan was not asking Afghanistan for anything beyond what is necessary for the two neighbouring countries to coexist peacefully.
The spokesperson highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding support for Afghanistan, saying the country had made significant sacrifices and provided extensive assistance to the Afghan cause. Pakistan has also provided educational opportunities to thousands of Afghan students, with more than 6,000 Afghan students having studied in Pakistan.
He added that Pakistan had constructed roads and bridges, established universities and built a hospital in Afghanistan. Reciprocal goodwill from Afghanistan, he said, could help restore cooperation and a friendly environment.
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Pakistan to Fulfil Role Under Makkah Defence Agreement
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan would fulfil its responsibilities under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which is currently in force.
Responding to questions during the weekly briefing, Sajjad Haider Khan said there were currently no discussions between Pakistan and any party regarding a proposal or matter of this nature.
He said Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also have a bilateral defence agreement and are part of a trilateral arrangement. The Makkah agreement, he explained, is purely defensive in nature and aims to ensure regional security primarily through deterrence.
The current Makkah agreement comprises Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, with the three countries regularly holding meetings and consultations at different levels.
The spokesperson said the three founding countries must first strengthen their organisation and cooperation. The agreement could later be opened to other countries that share similar positions, thinking and requirements, but there is currently no discussion about expanding its membership.
He added that the three founding members are still finalising the details of the agreement and that discussions on expansion would take place once its basic elements have been settled.
Pakistan Accuses India of Involvement in Terrorism
The Foreign Office spokesperson said the ground reality was that India was involved in terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
He further alleged that India was involved in terrorism-related activities in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.
Pakistan also expressed deep concern and condemnation over what it described as the systematic and state-backed demolition of Islamic holy sites in India.
The spokesperson said the demolition of Islamic religious sites on various pretexts was also a violation of the 1950 India-Pakistan agreement, which guarantees the rights and protection of religious minorities.
He added that ongoing actions in India were also contrary to its own laws, particularly the 1991 Places of Worship Act, under which the religious character of a place of worship is required to remain as it existed on August 15, 1947.
The spokesperson cited the demolition of the historic Babri Mosque in 1992 as a stark example of religious intolerance, prejudice and hatred. He also expressed concern over what he described as a Hindutva-driven campaign targeting centuries-old Islamic heritage and places of worship.
Pakistan Expresses Concern Over Yasin Malik’s Health
On the issue of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, the spokesperson said Malik had adopted a courageous position that exposed what Pakistan considers flaws in the Indian judicial system.
Pakistan, he said, remains concerned about Malik’s deteriorating health and will continue to raise his case, as well as the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir, at international forums.
Regarding Iran, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan would make decisions on trade agreements with Iran based on its national interests.
He categorically rejected a Reuters report suggesting that Pakistan had issued a warning to Iran, describing the report as baseless.
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Pakistan Reiterates Position on Kashmir and Palestine
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s position that Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, saying the United Nations itself confirms its disputed status.
He said India was attempting to portray Jammu and Kashmir as its territory through what Pakistan described as false and illegal claims, which Islamabad and the international community could not accept.
According to the spokesperson, more than a dozen UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir remain pending. He said these resolutions provide for determining the future of Jammu and Kashmir through a plebiscite under UN supervision.
Pakistan, he added, consistently highlighted the Kashmir issue during its year-long tenure on the UN Security Council, while Pakistan’s mission at the United Nations also played an active role in raising the matter.
The spokesperson said an Arria-formula meeting on Jammu and Kashmir was also held at the United Nations, while a resolution stressing the importance of upholding and maintaining international agreements was adopted by consensus.
He said the conflicts in Kashmir and Palestine remain active subjects of discussion at the United Nations on an almost daily basis.
Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister and deputy prime minister continue to raise the issues of Kashmir and Palestine during their foreign visits, he added. Pakistani leadership also discusses both issues with important visiting dignitaries and officials during meetings in Pakistan and abroad.
Pakistan Calls for Sports to Remain Free of Politics
On the South Asian Games, the spokesperson said Pakistan last hosted the event, probably in 2004.
He clarified that invitations for the South Asian Games are not issued through the Foreign Office but directly through the relevant Olympic associations.
Pakistan believes sports should not be used for political purposes and should remain focused on sporting activities, he said. Countries participating in the South Asian Games should demonstrate sportsmanship and maintain the spirit of competition.
The spokesperson also said Pakistan appreciates the cooperation of partner countries.
International Drug Trafficking Network Dismantled
The spokesperson said Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had helped dismantle a major international drug-trafficking network operating across several countries.
Based on actionable intelligence provided by the ANF, authorities conducted an operation at Karachi Port in late July, seizing approximately 200 kilograms of narcotics.
Three people were arrested in the operation, including an Afghan national who was described as a key organiser of the network.
Following further investigation, the ANF shared important intelligence with international partners. The Pakistani force also shared intelligence with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which helped facilitate coordination with Sri Lankan authorities and police.
Based on Pakistani intelligence, Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau conducted an operation in Colombo on August 31, 2026, seizing a large quantity of drugs and disrupting the wider trafficking network.
The spokesperson said the successful operation highlighted the importance of timely intelligence sharing and international cooperation.
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