Islamabad [Pakistan], March 27 (ANI): The Human Rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has called on Pakistan to revoke its controversial 'Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan', which primarily targets Afghan refugees, following the low rates of deportations and returns of Afghans in March, largely due to border closures, as reported by Dawn on Thursday.

According to the Dawn, citing a statement issued on Wednesday by Amnesty, the organisation criticised Pakistan's March 31 deadline for Afghan refugees to leave, stating that forcibly expelling Afghan nationals--many of whom are asylum seekers--would only worsen their suffering.

'The Pakistani government's unyielding and cruel deadline, which is less than a week away, to remove Afghan refugees and asylum seekers from two major cities, resulting in the deportation of many at risk, shows little respect for international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement,' Amnesty stated as quoted by the Dawn.

The exact details of the repatriation plan have never been publicly disclosed, but Amnesty argues that it is being used to portray Afghan nationals as criminals and terrorists unfairly.

According to the Dawn, Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty's Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, condemned the move, stating, 'The Government of Pakistan is only making a scapegoat of a community that has long been disenfranchised and fleeing persecution.'

Human rights lawyer Moniza Kakar also highlighted the devastating impact on Afghan families, saying many refugees have lived in Pakistan for decades. 'Asking them to relocate means you're asking them to leave homes, businesses, communities and lives they've built for years,' she told Amnesty,' as quoted by Dawn.

Under the plan, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented refugees face immediate deportation, while even those awaiting resettlement in third countries risk being moved far from foreign missions handling their cases, potentially jeopardising their relocation.

Lawyer Umer Gillani, who has challenged the deportation orders in Pakistan's Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court, argued that the March 31 deadline was not legally enforceable. 'The official notification has not been issued under any particular law; it is just an executive instruction,' he stated, as quoted by Dawn.

Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported a sharp decline in Afghan returns and deportations during the first half of March. Between March 1 and 15, returns dropped by 67 per cent, while deportations fell by 50 per cent compared to the previous period (February 16-28). (ANI)