ISLAMABAD: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul telephoned Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar once again late on Tuesday night, when earlier both had held an extensive telephone conversation on August 28.
“Both Islamabad and Berlin are officially being tightlipped over the issue of Afghan nationals that Germany had promised to relocate. Many other western capitals have like Germany due to domestic constraints, refuse to re-locate these Afghans, many of who had to leave Pakistan by September 1, and now it is nearly impossible to bring them back to Pakistan for re-location,” diplomatic sources told ‘The News’.
However, as the deadline for Afghans to leave Pakistan neared, Germany contacted Islamabad and held out an assurance that it was now ready to relocate these Afghans living in Pakistan. But, for some Afghans this late reach out by Berlin meant that some could not avail this opportunity as they had been deported home living in fear of the Taliban as they were marked as having helped foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday night the official statement regarding the conversation between the Pakistani and German foreign ministers, from the Foreign Office did not make any direct mention of the issue of the Afghan citizens but said, “Pakistan and Germany have agreed to maintain close dialogue to promote mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation in shared areas of interest.”
Both also appreciated the positive momentum in Pakistan-Germany relations and reaffirmed their commitment to deeper cooperation.
“They also held an in-depth exchange of views on regional and global issues. They also looked forward to meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week,” added the Foreign Office.
Earlier, on August 28, the German foreign minister had telephoned his Pakistani counterpart and both affirmed their resolve to further strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, and underscored the importance of high-level contacts. They also exchanged views on regional issues.
Germany had suspended a relocation programme for vulnerable Afghans after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May 2025, citing broader migration goals, and going back of promises to relocate vulnerable Afghans who had at one time helped them inside Afghanistan.
It was indeed a great betrayal for these Afghans who had put themselves and their families lives at stake to help the German forces.
Since then Berlin has been one of the very few western countries that in a U-turn agreed to relocate vulnerable Afghans and started to airlift them to Germany, but only after Pakistan declined to its request to push back the deadline of September 1 as it continued with its crackdown.
These Afghans left under the German programme which promised individuals who supported German missions, were involved in politics, justice, journalism, or faced persecution under the Taliban.
“Sympathy for Afghans still in Pakistan has declined over the past months specially as Kabul continues to support the TTP who carry out terrorist attacks on Pakistan and except for embassies and human right groups, ordinary Pakistani want them to return peacefully,” said an official in Peshawar handling the return of these Afghans.
But Germany change of heart to relocate these vulnerable Afghans did not come out of being reminded about its promises by Pakistan. “This decision comes after human rights groups and affected families filed lawsuits against the German government for failing to uphold its promises of safety for those who had previously supported German missions or faced persecution under the Taliban.”
The German Foreign Ministry said earlier that 211 Afghans who were approved for resettlement in Germany were deported back to Afghanistan from Pakistan where they had been living temporarily.
As the German and Pakistani foreign minister continue to be in touch, it has been conveyed to Islamabad that Berlin is in contact with the relevant authorities to enable these 211 people deported by Pakistan to once again return to Pakistan and be relocated to Germany.
The German Foreign Office said that in the meantime, accommodation has reportedly been arranged for the deportees in Afghanistan with the help of a service provider and among them are about 350 former local staff of German institutions and their families.
“Indecisions like that of the German government have traumatised these vulnerable Afghans who are being shunted in and out of Pakistan out of no fault of their own. It exposes the duplicity of these western capitals who are using politics with the lives of these Afghans,” diplomatic sources said.
