ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that around 1.3 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated from Pakistan so far under the federal government’s repatriation plan.
Responding to a question by MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, Malik said Pakistan had hosted nearly 3 million Afghan refugees. Of these, approximately 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UNHCR.
Malik clarified that under the One Document Regime, Afghan nationals are permitted to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business, provided they carry valid visas and documents.
The disclosure follows Pakistan’s deadline of April 30 for undocumented Afghans to leave the country—an extension of the original March 31 cutoff. The government said over 80,000 Afghan nationals had been repatriated by April 1, amid criticism over what Afghan officials and human rights groups have described as “forced deportations.”
Interior Ministry Adviser Talal Chaudhry had earlier ruled out any further extension to the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, launched in late 2023.
“We have communicated clear instructions to all provinces,” Chaudhry had said. “Anyone who provides housing or space to an undocumented foreigner will be held accountable under the law.”
Afghans lacking valid documents or holding only ACCs were ordered to leave by the end of April. Meanwhile, registered PoR holders were instructed to vacate Islamabad and Rawalpindi—raising alarm among families who have lived in Pakistan for decades.
At least one-third of the Afghan population targeted for expulsion resides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has long served as a refuge for those fleeing conflict.
“Afghans can never be completely repatriated, especially from KP, as many re-enter illegally or exploit system loopholes despite border fencing,” said Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, in remarks to Al Jazeera.
Islamabad has often linked undocumented Afghan refugees to security threats and criminal activity—an allegation rejected by Kabul, which has labelled the repatriation campaign politically motivated.
Temporary holding centres have been established across several cities to process returnees before their transfer, mostly via the Torkham border crossing in KP, the main gateway into eastern Afghanistan.
Human rights organisations have voiced concern, warning that mass deportations could expose vulnerable groups—especially women and children—to insecurity or persecution.
Despite the criticism, Pakistani authorities insist the crackdown is a matter of national security and targets only those without legal documentation.
