ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed “regional issues” during a phone call with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, as the two countries deal with the issue of Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan.
Germany paused its humanitarian relocation program for vulnerable Afghans earlier this year, leaving thousands in limbo. Pakistan, meanwhile, has announced it will continue deportations of Afghan nationals, setting a September 1 deadline for registered refugees to leave.
Rights groups warn that those approved for resettlement in Germany face heightened risks in their homeland, where many had worked alongside Western forces after the Taliban regime was toppled following the 2001 US invasion.
German ministers also came under legal pressure at home amid fears Pakistan may expel vulnerable Afghans in the absence of coordinated Western resettlement measures.
“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, received a call last night from German Foreign Minister, Dr. Johann Wadephul @AussenMinDE,” the foreign office said in a brief statement.
