Body of Afghan elders urges Pakistan to put off repatriation of refugees till Eid

PESHAWAR: Elders of Afghan Refugee Council in Kohat urged the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan to put off initiation of mega operation and give time to all Afghan refugees till Eid to celebrate the religious festival with their families in Pakistan.

Addressing at a press conference here at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Thursday, Malik Mujahid Shinwari, Malik Awal Khan and Malik Shah Mahmood, said that after Eid, they will ultimately go to Afghanistan.

Malik Awal Khan said that they are grateful to Pakistan for hosting them for 46 years when their honor was at risk at the hands of Russia. He said that the Pakistani government should help return the money owed to Afghan businessmen so that they can go to Afghanistan and live a peaceful life.

He said that the children who are studying should be allowed the opportunities to complete their education because there are no educational institutions in Afghanistan at present due to lack of infrastructure.

He further said that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has played a very disappointing role during the repatriation of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan.

He said that the UNHCR should provide basic facilities to the Afghan refugees repatriating to Afghanistan. The representatives of the Kohat Afghan Refugees Council also demanded that the government release all Afghan refugees imprisoned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa jails for Eid so that they can celebrate Eid with their families and children and return to Afghanistan in a safe manner.

The elders further said that they accept every decision of the Pakistani government and grateful that the government and people of Pakistan have respected them, so they also respect Pakistani laws and returning to Afghanistan with dignity and in future travel to Pakistan using travel documents.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026