Pakistan hosted millions of Afghan refugees for 40 years: DG ISPR

Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in an exclusive interview with a German magazine on September 5, 2025, discussed a wide range of issues including Afghan refugees, regional security, terrorism, and Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir and India. The DG ISPR highlighted that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan … Read more

“Pakistan will decide who stays and who does not,” says FO

says FO

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the issue of Afghan refugees has remained part of the agenda in discussions between the leadership of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Briefing journalists, he said that undocumented individuals will be repatriated, stressing that decisions regarding who can stay in Pakistan will be made solely by the Pakistani … Read more

Govt forms teams to trace Afghan Refugees after deadline period ends

Govt forms teams to trace Afghan Refugees after deadline period ends

As the government’s deadline for undocumented Afghan refugees ended on Sunday, authorities have formed special teams across the country to start identifying and verifying Afghan families. The government had given Afghan refugees until August 31 to leave Pakistan, where many of them have been living for more than four decades. Officials had warned that from … Read more

Afghans moved to UK in secret operation after data breach

Afghans moved to UK in secret operation after data breach

Thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban were secretly relocated to the UK following a significant data breach. The breach, which involved the accidental leaking of nearly 19,000 applicants’ personal information, was traced back to an unnamed British official at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in February 2022. The leaked data included names, contact details, and … Read more

KP CM Gandapur assures no forced expulsions of Afghan refugees

KP CM Gandapur assures no forced expulsions of Afghan refugees

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Friday that the government would not forcibly deport any Afghan refugee from the northwestern region of Pakistan. While addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the KP CM stated, “We will not expel any Afghan refugee by force from KP. We oppose any form of forcible deportation … Read more

Afghan refugees face uncertainty as Pakistan’s deportation deadline expire today

Afghan refugees face uncertainty as Pakistan's deportation deadline expire today

Pakistan has let the deadline for Afghan refugees expire, and authorities will begin the repatriation process for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and illegal refugees today. Authorities have made food and healthcare arrangements for Afghans returning to their homeland. They have warned of strict punitive action against those who remain after the deadline. Pakistan’s Ministry … Read more

Myths about violation of Afghan refugees rights in Pakistan

Pakistan

KARACHI:  Pakistan’s deportation of illegal immigrants is a sovereign right driven by security, economic strain, and legal enforcement, yet it faces disproportionate criticism.

Meanwhile, theUnited States (US) justifies similar policies on national security and economic grounds.

Response Lines

📌 Pakistan’s policy on illegal immigrants aligns with global norms. No nation is obligated to host illegal immigrants indefinitely, and Pakistan is enforcing a legal and just policy to safeguard its security, economy, and sovereignty.

📌 Under the new Trump administration, the US is deporting thousands under national security concerns without backlash, yet Pakistan faces criticism for enforcing similar laws.

📌 Afghan influencers who fueled hysteria over Pakistan’s deportations are silent on Trump’s policy, which has left thousands of Afghan asylum seekers stranded.

📌 PTM and Afghan officials exploit the situation for political gain, distorting Pakistan’s lawful policy while ignoring its decades-long generosity in hosting over 4 million Afghan refugees despite significant economic and security challenges.

📌 As a non-signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Pakistan has no obligation to accommodate or legislate on refugees. Afghan nationals remain in Pakistan as a goodwill gesture, not due to any international commitment.

📌 UNHCR unilaterally registered thousands of asylum seekers without Pakistan’s coordination, undermining its sovereignty. Additionally, international actors like the US and UK disrupted the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP) process by submitting large exemption lists, causing unnecessary delays.

📌 Global HR watchdogs pressuring Pakistan refuse to take responsibility for these so-called ‘vulnerable communities.’ If the West truly cares, it should offer asylum to Afghans instead of expecting Pakistan to bear the burden alone.

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Pakistan extends stay of registered Afghan refugees by 1 year

Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees by one year,  after the U.N. refugee commissioner asked for a pause in the country’s plan to repatriate refugees.

The Ministry of Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) issued a notification to extend the period of registration card of Afghan refugees.

According to the notification, the extension will be applicable from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The extension of POR will be applicable to registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.

Sources said that the registration card for registered Afghan refugees had expired on June 30, 2024 and the number of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan is about 1.4million.

Islamabad began expelling undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, in November last year amid a row over accusations that Afghanistan harbours Pakistani Islamist militants.

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Pakistan extends legal residency of Afghan refugees by another year

Pakistan extends legal residency of Afghan refugees by another year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended the legal residency of Afghan refugees in the country by another year, according to an official statement released after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The federal cabinet approved a one-year extension for Proof of Registration (POR) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees, whose cards expired last month. The extension is valid … Read more

No crackdown launched against Afghan refugees, Bugti tells Senate

No crackdown launched against Afghan refugees, Bugti tells Senate

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti has clarified that no crackdown is being taken against Afghan refugees and an action is only underway against the illegal aliens in the country. He said this while responding to a motion moved by Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen and others. Dispelling the impression that illegal aliens are … Read more

Illegal emigrants to face comprehensive operation after November 1: Interior Minister

comprehensive operation

The government has set October 31 as the deadline for illegal diasporas. Until now, 15 to 20 thousand illegal residents have left Pakistan. The moveable and immovable properties will be confiscated after October 31. Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti says that a comprehensive operation will be conducted after November 1, 2023, for the evacuation of … Read more

Sindh Govt forms committees for repatriation of illegal immigrants

Sindh
  • Home Department issued notifications of three committees.
  • Provincial Committee will be Addl Chief Secretary Home.
  • The committees will collect data of unregistered migrants.

KARACHI: The Sindh government has established provincial , divisional and district level committees to repatriate illegal immigrants.

The Sindh Home Department has issued notifications of three committees for the repatriation of illegal immigrants, according to which the convener of the Provincial Immigrants’ Repatriation Committee will be the Additional Chief Secretary Home.

According to the notification, the convener of the divisional committee will be the commissioners and the convener of the district committee will be the deputy commissioners.

The implementation committee of foreign illegal immigrants will consist of police, core headquarters, IB, NADRA, FIA, ISI, MI and representatives of Afghan refugees.

According to the notification, the committees will collect data on unregistered migrants and will be responsible for taking measures to prevent their deportation and immigration, these committees will also oversee the prevention of foreign residents at provincial borders and urban areas.

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‘Afghan refugees with ‘proof of registration’ to be eligible to settle in Pakistan’

Afghan refugees Sindh

The Apex Committee Meeting on Tuesday took very important decisions regarding the illegal alien immigrants under the National Action Plan, Bol News reported quoting sources as saying. “A final decision has been taken to deport all foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan. Illegal foreigners in Pakistan likely to be given final deadline to leave the country,” … Read more

France announces 3 mn Euros aid for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Iran

France announces

The government of France has announced a financial aid of three million Euros to support the UN Refugee Agency’s critical programmes for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Nicolas Galey said this support is a gesture of solidarity and gratitude for the four decades of hospitality extended by the host … Read more

200 Afghan refugees trained to earn livelihood at home

Afghan refugees

200 Afghan refugees have been given tool kits The training and tool kits were given under BLEP The project is being carried out in eight districts of Balochistan DALBANDIN: Two hundred Afghan refugees have been given tool kits for sun driers and kitchen gardening after training them for 45 days to earn livelihood at their … Read more

More than 5,000 Afghan refugees return homeland

afghan

More than 5,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. 173 unregistered refugees landed in southern Kandahar province from Pakistan. More than 740,000 Afghan refugees have returned or been deported to Afghanistan, mostly from neighbouring countries, since August 2021. The Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs stated on Thursday that 5,159 … Read more

UN lauds Pakistan on completion of maiden smart card registration of Afghan refugees

The United Nations (UN) has lauded Pakistan for the successful completion of the first-ever smart card registration of Afghan refugees. The campaign, supported by UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was launched on April 15 last year and ended on December 31. The documentation renewal and information verification exercise, officially known as DRIVE, also provided … Read more