ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected the assertions made by acting Afghan Chargé d’Affaires (Cd’A) regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals and refugees in Pakistan, terming the accusations are misplaced, baseless and unfounded.
The spokesperson said this in response to media queries regarding remarks of the acting Afghan Cd’A on mistreatment of Afghan refugees by Pakistan.
“We have noted the remarks made by the acting Afghan Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad, about Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan. I would like to remind him that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades with respect and dignity, while extending traditional hospitality, sharing its resources and services such as education and health, even with very little international support,” he emphasised.
As regards aliens, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said “Pakistan started Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP) in 2023, and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one is mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.
In this connection, Islamabad also extensively engaged with Kabul to ensure smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals. While Pakistan has done what it could, we expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan, so that these returnees are fully integrated in the Afghan society,“ he added.
The spokesperson remarked that real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that rights of these people about whom the Afghan Cd’A talked are protected in Afghanistan.
According to available UNHCR statistics, total registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan are around 1.4 million who have held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. In July last year, the federal cabinet extended the validity of PoR cards, by one more year to June 30, 2025.
Additionally, those who hold Afghan Citizenship Card (ACC) are about 0.8 million besides 0.6 million undocumented Afghan migrants. According to official sources, around 700,000 new Afghans have arrived in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Majority of them want to move to other countries.
Sources said that majority of legal Afghans are living in Islamabad or adjoining areas and they had been bound to obtain permission from DC from January 1st 2025. The federal government has also chalked out a comprehensive plan to relocate registered Afghan nationals out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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