Pakistan’s recent decision regarding the expulsion of Afghan refugees has raised serious concerns among Afghans residing in the country.
Mawsam Khan, one of the Afghans born and raised in Pakistan, currently owns a mobile shop there. He expressed his concerns over the Pakistani government’s latest decision to deport Afghan refugees.
He stated: “We have businesses here, and if we go to Afghanistan, our work will not continue properly. Besides, the situation in Afghanistan is not very good either.”
“Instead of solving refugees’ problems, they are increasing day by day. Many refugees, including women and children, are being arrested and imprisoned by the police,” said Lima Amiri, another Afghan refugee.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan urge both the Afghan and Pakistani governments to handle this matter in a better way.
“Our request of the Islamic government of Pakistan is to reconsider its decision by taking into account Afghanistan’s conditions and the situation of refugees and to extend the deportation process over a longer period,” said Atiqullah Mansoor, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has urged host countries, particularly Pakistan, not to make unilateral decisions regarding Afghan refugees. The ministry’s spokesperson, Abdul Mutaleb Haqqani, also informed Afghan refugees in other countries that Afghanistan now has better security and employment conditions, encouraging them to return.
Haqqani added: “They should not make unilateral decisions regarding refugees. The issue of refugees is a bilateral matter, and a mechanism should be established through mutual understanding between both countries before making any decisions.”
Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, acting ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Pakistan, explained the deportation process as follows: “Those who hold ACC cards have permission to stay in Pakistan until the end of April, while Afghans with POR cards have until June 30 of this year.”
On Wednesday, the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Pakistan issued a statement confirming the final approval of the deportation program for all Afghan refugees from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and across Pakistan in the near future. The statement noted that only Afghans with legal visas would be allowed to stay in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
