Stranded in Pakistan: The uncertain fate of Afghan refugees

April 27, 2025

By Asmatullah Niazi

Whenever there is an impasse in South Asia, particularly on the front of security and regional cooperation, Pakistan’s  foreign and security policy faces perils, regardless of whether it is related to India, Afghanistan, Iran, or China. Authorities, irrespective of the specific political party in government, deal with the situation on a ‘hit-and-run’ basis, which, instead of resolving issues, aggravates them from bad to worse.

The same is the case with Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and policy, towards the long-standing issue of settling Afghan refugees who have been staying in Pakistan since the Afghan war in the 1980s, and arriving here at intervals during Talibanization in the 1990s, the US war on terror after 9/11 during Musharraf’s dictatorial regime, and the latest arrival of a new wave of refugees after the US forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan followed by the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. The first victim in all the cases have been the Afghan refugees which had camped in different parts of the country.

To reconcile, representatives of our ‘militablishment’ visited Afghanistan, stayed at Kabul’s luxurious Serena hotel, had several cups of tea and claimed that ‘everything will be fine’. Meanwhile somewhere in the background were security experts and those, who regularly and closely monitor the situation in Afghanistan, and who were raising alarms about serious security threats and a rise in terrorism in Pakistan. These concerns not only pertained to the Pak-Afghan relations, they also mentioned the impact on the lives of the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, including those who had arrived after the Fall of Kabul in 2021. They had rightly raised concerns even before the Taliban had taken over.

Background
I was born in a village on the banks of the Kurram River. The river flows from the ‘Spin Ghar region of the Paktia province of northeastern Afghanistan. My village lies exactly where it joins the Indus River. This area is near the last settlements of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). I myself have witnessed Afghan refugees arriving in the Isa Khel tehsil of Mianwali and settling on the fertile lands, from Bannu District to Kot Chandna near Kalabagh. Their arrival was not welcomed, even in KP. Gradually however, the locals learnt to accept them.

“Pakistan has hosted 3.3 million Afghan refugees since the Russian (USSR) invasion in 1979 and accepted approximately 0.5 million more who were unregistered but residing and working in Pakistan. This has added difficulties for the local populations from Peshawar to Karachi and fueled anger.”

There are various reasons that has hindered the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland since the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. These reasons include terrorism and extremism in the Pashtun belts of Afghanistan, the collapse of law and order, and the rise of the Taliban, backed by Pakistan in the 1990s, juxtaposed by the brutality of the Taliban.

Let’s discuss some separately for clarity and better understanding of the issue.

There were already millions of refugees living in Pakistan since the Soviet war, but after August 2021 and the return of the Taliban, many chose to flee to Pakistan fearing threats to their lives and leaving behind their valuables and properties. Recently, during a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan, a female Afghan journalist, Freshta Sadid, was picked up by authorities from her residence in Islamabad for deportation back to Afghanistan. They released her later but there was fear that she would be returned to her hometown. Taliban’s policies and actions have created significant concerns for certain groups, including former officials, armed forces members, Shia Hazaras, LGBTQIA+ individuals, artists, and women, making many Afghans hesitant to return.

For Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades, returning to Afghanistan can be a daunting task. They may face significant emotional and psychological challenges readjusting to life in their homeland, especially after such a long time away. Reintegrating into communities and coping with changes in Afghanistan can also be difficult, as job availability and economic conditions remain challenging.

Those returning to Afghanistan often struggle to access basic necessities like housing, food, and water due to a lack of resources and support. The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has been criticized for inadequate assistance to those returning. Furthermore, limited access to financial aid and economic opportunities exacerbates the challenges faced by returnees, making their reintegration even more difficult.

The legal status of Afghan refugees in Pakistan remains precarious, with short-term extensions of their Proof of Registration (PoR) cards fueling uncertainty and fear of deportation. This instability hinders their ability to plan for the future. Moreover, some refugees have faced police harassment, with authorities questioning the validity of their PoR
cards, adding to their distress. After the surge in terrorism and rise in presence of Taliban allegedly backed by Afghan
Groups, Pakistan has tightened its stance on Afghan refugees, enforcing stricter policies that include deportations, arrests, and crackdowns on undocumented migrants. Human rights organizations have condemned these measures, accusing Pakistan of breaching international law by forcibly returning refugees to a potentially dangerous environment. Additionally, reports suggest that Pakistan has been coercing refugees to leave by subjecting them to harassment and confiscating their documents.

However, the recent visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Kabul, along with talks with top officials and leaders of the interim Afghan government, has given some hope. The Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister assured Afghan authorities that Afghan refugees would not be mistreated and that Pakistan would take serious steps in this regard. He added that the properties and capital of Afghan refugees were their own, and no one could seize their assets.