Pakistani officials have announced that preparations have been completed to detain and deport a specific category of Afghan citizens following the March 31 deadline for their voluntary return.

A high-level meeting on Friday, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, reviewed arrangements for the repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders after the deadline.

In January, the Pakistani government instructed ACC holders to leave the country by the end of March or face deportation. Despite appeals from the Afghan government and human rights organizations, authorities have refused to extend the deadline.

During the meeting, officials confirmed that all necessary measures had been put in place to ensure the return of ACC holders. Detention centers have been established to house Afghan citizens before deportation, with food and healthcare facilities available, Dawn newspaper reported.

Naqvi emphasized that the federal government was coordinating with provincial authorities on the repatriation process and assured full support for its implementation. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has been tasked with visiting provinces to address any issues that arise.

Naqvi also directed officials to treat foreign nationals with respect during the repatriation process. A door-to-door awareness campaign has been launched, and mapping of ACC holders has been completed.

According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, the ACC provides temporary legal status to Afghan citizens in Pakistan, but its validity is determined by the federal government.

A government official, speaking to Dawn, stated that nationwide crackdowns would begin after the deadline, targeting ACC holders. Additionally, individuals renting properties to undocumented Afghan nationals will face legal consequences. Authorities will conduct search operations, maintain biometric records of illegal Afghan residents, and bar them from re-entering the country. Fraudulently obtained identity and travel documents will be revoked, and violators, along with their accomplices, will face fines and imprisonment.

The meeting also decided to form a committee to assess a proposal by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for negotiations with the Afghan Taliban on security issues. Gandapur has requested formal authorization from the federal government to engage in talks and has submitted a peace plan to the ministries of interior and foreign affairs.

The repatriation of ACC holders is part of the second phase of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme, which began in November 2023. The latest phase of the initiative was announced on January 29. Additionally, the government has ordered the relocation of Afghan nationals—including those holding UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards—out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31.

The deportation plan has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. Earlier this week, Amnesty International condemned the treatment of Afghan migrants by Pakistani authorities, calling the March 31 deadline “unyielding and cruel.”

Four Taiwanese soldiers, including three assigned to the security detail of the president’s office, have been sentenced to prison for photographing and leaking classified information to China, a court announced.

The number of individuals prosecuted for espionage on behalf of Beijing has surged in recent years, with Taiwan’s military—both active and retired personnel—being the primary targets of Chinese infiltration, according to official data.

This development follows President Lai Ching-te’s recent announcement of plans to reinstate military judges to oversee cases of Chinese espionage and other offences involving Taiwanese service members. According to the Taipei District Court, three members of the Presidential Office’s security unit and a soldier from the defense ministry’s information and telecommunications command were found guilty of violating national security laws.

“Their actions constituted a betrayal of the country and posed a threat to national security,” the court stated.

The four received prison sentences ranging from five years and ten months to seven years for transmitting “internal military information that should have remained confidential” to Chinese intelligence agents over a period of several months. The offenses occurred between 2022 and 2024, with the soldiers receiving payments ranging from approximately NT$260,000 to NT$660,000. The court did not disclose specific details about the leaked information.

Despite holding positions in “highly sensitive and crucial units,” the defendants “violated their duties by accepting bribes and stealing secrets through unauthorized photography,” the court added.Prosecutors revealed that the soldiers used their mobile phones to capture classified military data.

Three of them had already been discharged from the military before an investigation was launched in August last year, following a tip-off to the defense ministry. The fourth soldier was suspended. Taiwan’s intelligence agency previously reported a sharp increase in espionage cases, with 64 individuals prosecuted for Chinese spying in 2024, compared to 48 in 2023 and just 10 in 2022.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly threatened to use force to assert control over the self-governing island. Espionage between the two sides has persisted for decades, but analysts warn that Taiwan faces a greater threat, given the looming possibility of a Chinese invasion.

NASA has attributed the return of astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to U.S. President Donald Trump. The two astronauts, who had been stranded in space for nine months, returned to Earth on March 18. Their initial week-long stay at the International Space Station (ISS) was unexpectedly extended due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. When they finally splashed down off the Florida coast earlier this month, a NASA spokeswoman described the rescue mission as a “significant victory for the Trump administration.”

NASA Acknowledges Trump’s Role in Astronauts’ Safe Return

After the Boeing spacecraft encountered failures, Elon Musk’s SpaceX stepped in, using a Crew Dragon capsule to bring Wilmore and Williams safely back to Earth.

“This is a huge win for the Trump administration, and it would not have been possible without President Trump’s intervention,” NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens told Fox News. “Looking ahead, the next step in advancing President Trump’s ambitious space agenda—outlined in his inaugural address—is confirming his nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman.”

Stevens further noted, “President Trump was once seen as an outsider, yet the American people have reinstated him, recognizing the business acumen he brings to leadership. Similarly, Mr. Isaacman, a highly successful entrepreneur, is well-positioned to lead NASA.”

She added, “I, along with 30 astronauts and multiple GOP governors, believe that Mr. Isaacman is the right choice to head NASA and implement the president’s vision,” referring to Trump’s nomination of Isaacman in January 2025 to serve as NASA’s next administrator.

Washington is striving to secure a Black Sea ceasefire agreement before finalizing a broader peace deal. These negotiations take place against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s intensified efforts to end the three-year-long war. Last week, he held discussions with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leading to an agreement on a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.

According to a Reuters report citing sources, the U.S. delegation is being led by Andrew Peek, senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official. The goal of implementing a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea is to ensure the free flow of shipping in the region.

Representing Russia in the talks are Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat who now chairs the Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service.

Earlier discussions between U.S. officials and the Ukrainian side were led by Kyiv’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. He described the talks as “productive and focused,” emphasizing key topics such as energy and reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to achieving a “just and lasting peace.”

Meanwhile, in a Sunday evening address, Zelensky accused Russia of prolonging the war, stating, “No matter what we discuss with our partners, we must push Putin to issue a real order to stop the strikes. The one who started this war must end it.”