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BERLIN: The German government is reviewing whether Afghans stranded in Pakistan while awaiting resettlement in Germany will indeed be allowed to go there, its interior minister said on Thursday, as Islamabad intensifies deportations of Afghans.

Pakistan has begun to deport documented Afghan refugees ahead of its September 1 deadline for them to leave, according to the United Nations, a step that could see more than 1 million Afghans expelled from the country.

Among them are more than 2,000 Afghans awaiting visas to travel to Germany under an admission program designed to evacuate people considered to be at risk under Taliban rule in Pakistan’s neighbor Afghanistan.

A source familiar with the matter said detentions of Afghans for deportation over the border have continued, even during Pakistan’s Independence Day holiday on Thursday.

“People with German admission approval are being brought to the Torkham border (between Pakistan and Afghanistan) as we speak,” the source told Reuters."

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed that some Afghans in Germany’s resettlement scheme “have recently drawn the attention of Pakistani authorities,” and Berlin was in discussions with Islamabad over their status.

“We are reviewing whether these people can actually leave for Germany. Whether this actually happens depends on the outcome of the review process,” Dobrindt told journalists.

Germany’s admission program for at-risk Afghans — launched in October 2022 by the center-left government in office at the time — is now under review following February’s migration-focused election won by conservatives.

The new center-right coalition intends to close the scheme, which had already been suspended pending an ongoing review.

Since May 2021, Germany has admitted about 36,500 Afghans seen as vulnerable to Taliban crackdowns, but the conservative-led government says humanitarian migration now exceeds the country’s integration capacity.

On Wednesday, Germany’s foreign ministry said it was in close contact with Pakistani authorities and using established emergency mechanisms to prevent deportations of Afghans.

The interior ministry said it could not provide a timeline to determine the future of the admission program but expects decisions soon. It did not say whether the increase in deportations from Pakistan would hasten a decision.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has removed charges for the installation of information technology and fiber-optic infrastructure in the capital, the country’s IT minister said on Thursday, calling the move a breakthrough for universal Internet access.

The change was approved by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) board in late July and confirmed in a notification dated Aug. 13, which said the waiver was issued “in the light of Prime Minister’s Directive dated 14-07-2025.”

Analysts say the decision could lower costs for telecom operators and Internet service providers, speeding up broadband rollout in Islamabad and setting a precedent for other parts of the country.

“It has begun! No more barriers to Internet expansion! CDA has removed the right of way charges; next we it’ll be major federal entities. Portal already in place! A game changer for Pakistan’s broadband situation – reliable affordable #Internet4all!” the federal IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja posted on X.

The CDA order stated: “The CDA Board has approved the request for non-collection of Right-of-Way (ROW) charges for development/installation of I.T. and I.T. related infrastructure/fiberization in the light of Prime Minister’s Directive dated 14-07-2025.”

Pakistan has one of South Asia’s fastest-growing Internet user bases, with more than 130 million broadband connections, but access remains uneven. The country has faced frequent mobile Internet shutdowns during protests and political unrest, which rights groups and business associations say disrupt commerce and stifle free expression. Censorship of platforms such as X and YouTube has also been common, raising concerns among investors about regulatory unpredictability.

The government, which is under a $7 billion IMF program approved last year, has pledged to expand broadband penetration and digitize public services as part of wider economic reforms. Officials say reducing costs for infrastructure providers is a step toward more reliable and affordable Internet.