By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday ordered the accelerated repatriation of Afghan nationals living illegally in the country, declaring that it would grant no further extensions for their stay and would shut down all Afghan refugee camps nationwide.
The decision, reached at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also called for the establishment of additional exit points along the border with Afghanistan to facilitate a smoother return process. Officials emphasised that sheltering undocumented Afghans would be considered a grave violation, punishable by law.
The meeting brought together top military and civilian leaders, including the chief of army staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir; the chief ministers of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz; Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah; and Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti; as well as the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, and several federal ministers.
Notably absent was the newly elected chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, who was represented by Muzzammil Aslam, a former finance minister. In his inaugural address earlier, Afridi had voiced opposition to the repatriation effort, referring to Afghans as “brothers.”
The decision came amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where cross-border attacks and the presence of militant groups have strained relations since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Pakistan, which has hosted millions of Afghans for more than four decades through cycles of war and instability, now views the refugee population as a mounting threat to national security and a burden on public services.
Officials said around 1,477,592 individuals had already returned to Afghanistan as of Oct. 16.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the forum was briefed that the current phase, underway since Sept. 1, targets more than 1.3 million Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration cards — the last category of refugees legally residing in the country without visas.
Officials emphasized that only Afghans with valid Pakistani visas would be permitted to remain, and that the number of exit points along the Afghan border was being increased to facilitate a smoother and faster process.
“Officials informed the meeting that harboring Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan or allowing them to stay in guesthouses is a criminal offense, and efforts are underway to identify such individuals,” the statement said. “The public will be involved in the repatriation process, and no one will be allowed to violate government policy by providing shelter to Afghan nationals.”
Sharif directed that elderly persons, women, children and minorities be treated with dignity during the repatriation. He also welcomed the cooperation of provincial governments and praised their support for implementing the federal policy.
The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to address security concerns with the Afghan interim government, noting that senior officials, including the deputy prime minister and the defense minister, had visited Kabul multiple times to urge Afghan authorities to prevent their soil from being used for terrorism against Pakistan.
“Pakistan has made serious diplomatic and political efforts to stop the infiltration of militants from Afghanistan,” Sharif said. He expressed frustration over what he described as the Afghan authorities’ failure to act, despite these engagements. The recent attack on Pakistan’s border areas from Afghanistan, along with support for terrorist infiltration, was a “matter of serious concern,” he said. “The brave armed forces of Pakistan gave a strong and decisive response to this attack,” Sharif added.
“The brave people of Pakistan, who have lost loved ones in the war against terrorism, now ask: how long will the government continue to bear the burden of Afghan refugees?” The forum decided that all recommendations presented would be strictly implemented, with Mr. Sharif urging all provinces to extend full cooperation in ensuring the dignified and timely return of Afghan refugees. The two countries share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometers, with several crossing points that serve as vital links for trade and people-to-people ties. But terrorism has emerged as a central issue for Pakistan, which has repeatedly called on Afghanistan to curb groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), from using Afghan territory to launch attacks. Islamabad’s concerns were bolstered by a report from the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which detailed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP, including logistical, operational and financial support from the former to the latter.
Security sources in Pakistan have also pointed to Afghanistan as the base for masterminds and facilitators of terrorism, with allegations of support from India. The surge in cross-border terror incidents, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, has intensified since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. The Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to crack down on these groups has heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, more than 3.5 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan, including around 700,000 who arrived after the Taliban’s seizure of power in 2021. The agency estimated that half of them were undocumented. Many Afghans have called Pakistan home for generations: Some were born and raised there during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, while others fled subsequent conflicts and are still awaiting relocation to third countries.
Though Pakistan took care of Afghans during the past decades of war, the government is now compelled to say that the high number of refugees is eventually posing risks to national security and causing pressure on public services.
During the session, PM Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s historical support for Afghanistan amid its hardships but voiced frustration over the persistent role of Afghan nationals in cross-border terrorism. He instructed provincial governments and federal agencies to collaborate closely to achieve the prompt and organized departure of all undocumented Afghans, underscoring that extensions would not be permitted.
The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing generosity toward millions of Afghan refugees, even as the country grappled with significant economic and security strains. He noted the substantial toll exacted by the fight against terrorism, in both human lives and financial resources. “Despite multiple diplomatic efforts, including high-level visits by the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, defense minister, and other senior officials to Kabul, Pakistan’s concerns regarding the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups remain unresolved,” Mr. Sharif said.“The brave people of Pakistan, who have sacrificed so much in the fight against terrorism, now rightly ask how long we can continue bearing the burden of Afghan refugees,” he added.
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