Khawaja Asif reveals Afghan nationals holding top positions in Pakistani institutions

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that several Afghan nationals are occupying top positions in various institutions, though he did not specify whether he was referring to government departments.

During a recent interview, Asif disclosed that many prominent individuals possess Afghan nationality yet have obtained Pakistani passports and are now part of influential circles, or more probably, they are also in institutions,” he remarked.

Following his revelation, the host questioned how the government was dealing with the issue of Afghan nationals allegedly serving in senior positions.

“If we launch an inquiry against such people, their CNICs would date back to the 1980s, and before that, there’s no record of them,” Asif explained, adding that these individuals had established businesses and managed to acquire passports over time.

The host, appearing surprised, then asked how the government planned to identify such individuals among the 2.5 million Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan.

Asif responded that some of these individuals have already been identified. “We are sending back some refugees, and deportations will continue in large numbers in the coming days,” he said.

“We will no longer tolerate their presence in our country if they are not loyal to us,” the minister asserted.

He further added that Pakistan cannot take the risk of keeping what he described as “fifth columnists” at a time when the country is “engaged in a war.”