Pakistan and the United States will hold bilateral talks on the issue of Afghan nationals living in Pakistan next week, sources said.

The United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West will be leading an American delegation to Pakistan for a meeting with top-level officials, said the sources.

The discussion will focus on the issue of 25,000 Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan but slated for rehabilitation in Western nations, according to the sources.

The eviction of illegal immigrants from Pakistan will also be discussed.

Apart from this, discussions will be held on terrorism in Pakistan, the use of Afghan territory for terrorist activities and the strategy to eradicate the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist organizations.

On November 4, the Pakistan government ordered authorities not to arrest Afghans who were waiting to be relocated to the United States, as it wages a crackdown on illegal migration.

“As per the Embassy of America, 1,150 Afghan nationals are being sponsored for relocation and resettlement to (the) United States,” said the letter from the Interior Ministry, dated November 2 and seen by AFP.

“It is requested that it may be ensured that the Afghan nationals who are mentioned in the subject list, are not arrested till further notice.”

It comes after the United States on Wednesday called on Islamabad to let through Afghans who are seeking asylum.