Pakistan's caretaker government has set a November 1 deadline for undocumented Afghan immigrants to leave the country or face forcible expulsion. The Taliban administration in Kabul has condemned the move while calling it "unacceptable".
Taliban say that Afghans are not to blame for Pakistan's security problems.
Pakistan estimates that there are 1.73 million undocumented Afghan immigrants living in the country.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday alleged that Afghan citizens have carried out 14 of 24 suicide bombings in Pakistan this year.
However, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected this claim. He said that Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan's security problems.
The ultimatum to the immigrants, most of whom have been living in Pakistan for years, came after a meeting of the apex committee to review the law-and-order situation after recent suicide bombings.
One of the suicide bombers was an Afghan citizen, according to Bugti, who also accused India's intelligence agency of involvement.
Read more: Pakistan accelerates geotagging, tracking of illegal Afghan immigrants
Relations between the Taliban and the Pakistan government have deteriorated markedly in recent months.
Pakistan says militants use Afghanistan as a base to train and launch attacks into Pakistan.
The Taliban deny the accusations and maintain that Pakistan's security issues are home-grown.
Taliban government’s Central Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has called for the Pakistani government to reconsider its plan to forcibly expel undocumented Afghan immigrants.
He also urged the international community to pressure Pakistan to change its course.
The behavior of Pakistan against Afghan refugees is unacceptable. The Pakistani side should reconsider its plan. Afghan refugees are not involved in Pakistan's security problems. As long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily, that country should tolerate them.
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) October 4, 2023
