ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) was informed on Friday that approximately 2.9 million Afghan nationals are currently residing in Pakistan, of which, 1.4 million are registered refugees and 0.7 million are unregistered.
The SAFRON Standing Committee was chaired by Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi, which was also attended by Senators, Saadia Abbasi, Khalida Ateeb, Masroor Ahsan, joint secretary of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, and senior representatives from the relevant departments.
The committee was briefed on the trends in voluntary repatriation, noting that the period from 2002 to 2024 has seen the highest levels of repatriation until now.
It was also noted that Afghan refugee students are provided with 14 reserved seats in colleges and universities, along with free healthcare services in hospitals.
The Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees provided a comprehensive briefing on the current humanitarian assistance being provided to Afghan refugees in Pakistan, covering areas such as shelter, food, water, sanitation, education, and healthcare. The committee members were further briefed on the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas Programme (RAHA). They were informed that development projects under RAHA were halted in 2024 due to a lack of funding. Senators Saadia Abbasi and Syed Masroor Ahsan stressed over mobilising international support in funding the projects for Afghan refugees and proper utilisation of funds.
The committee directed for a detailed report on the RAAST project. Additionally, it was briefed that 40 million dollars has been disbursed to the Government of Pakistan for technically supporting NADRA, FIA, Passports, capacity building, and awareness programmes for Afghan refugees. Furthermore, 10 million dollars has been allocated to SAFRON for technical assistance.
Additionally, the committee was apprised that three organizations — UNHCR, GIZ, and JICA — are collaborating with the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees (CCAR) in the fields of technical and social assistances for Afghan refugees.
Representatives from SAFRON shared the challenges they face, underscoring the decreasing trajectory supporting funds from international organisations, which they view as a significant barrier. They also apprised that the current state policy is focused on smooth repatriation of refugees. The chairman and other committee members acknowledged that this process is time-consuming and needs to be implemented with a coordinated approach amongst all stakeholders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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