General Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), emphasised on Thursday that the decision to return illegal aliens to their home countries was made with the country‘s best interests in mind. He underlined that these individuals were “seriously affecting” Pakistan’s security and economy. The army chief made the comment while visiting Peshawar, where he was thoroughly briefed on the general security situation, ongoing counterterrorism operations, the repatriation of illegal foreigners, and socioeconomic developments in the newly merged districts, according to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). According to the military’s media wing, General Asim stated, “The government decided to repatriate them in the interest of Pakistan.”