March 2, 2026
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Pakistani authorities have detained more than 1,000 undocumented Afghan nationals in Peshawar over the past two days, as part of a broader crackdown across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as tensions with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan escalate.
The move has come since the declaration of ‘open war’ by the Pakistani Defence Minister on February 27, followed by deadly airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar. The Pakistan government has accused the Taliban of sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and are responsible for cross-border attacks.
But the refugees are being held in inhuman conditions and photographs shared by journalists and activists show images of the detainees being held in overcrowded jails, triggering outrage over the way they are being kept especially in the holy month of Ramzan. Many others, however, defended the operation as a necessary security measure against undocumented residents.
In a statement, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said that the crackdown—during which 1,044 undocumented Afghan nationals were arrested—was led by divisional superintendents of police. The police said the operation was aimed at maintaining law and order and preventing any untoward incidents.
“Security has been further tightened across the district, while strict monitoring is being carried out at entry and exit points of the provincial capital,” the statement said, adding that foolproof security arrangements were in place at sensitive locations, installations, markets, and places of worship.
Shafiullah, 35, an Afghan refugee living in Swabi district, said he had already been preparing for his return to Afghanistan, but was forced to stay behind due to the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, on October 12 last year. The closure followed rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, which led to the shutdown of five border crossings, including Torkham, for all types of traffic. Later, only Afghan refugees were allowed to return.
“We were already preparing to go back, as most people had sold their property for next to nothing – but then the border closed and we were forced to stay,” Shafiullah said. “Now the authorities are raiding our houses and detaining us even during the holy month of Ramzan.”
Elsewhere in the province, dozens of Afghan nationals are being detained during raids. In Khyber district, police said more than 50 undocumented Afghans were arrested during search operations in different areas. In Dera Ismail Khan, four Afghan nationals were detained during operations at Tank Adda, while cases were registered against them. Similarly, three Afghan nationals were arrested in Lakki city and Serai Naurang town. In Swat, police intensified operations and arrested 80 individuals under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.
As police action against Afghan refugees intensified under the PTI-led provincial government, several party members in the national and provincial assemblies expressed reservations, describing the crackdown as inhumane during Ramzan.
Irfan Saleem, the Peshawar president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), called for an immediate halt to the actions against Afghan refugees. He alleged that the Peshawar police were acting “like an unrestrained force,” harassing Afghan refugees by detaining them outside mosques, raiding their homes, and stopping them in markets and even inside their houses. He also alleged that police were extorting bribes of up to 50,000 rupees from Afghan refugees.
Referring to Saleem’s post on X (formerly Twitter), PTI Member of National Assembly Sher Ali Arbab said he would conduct spot checks at police stations to witness firsthand the treatment of Afghans being detained. He termed the treatment of Afghan refugees “inhumane,” particularly during the holy month of Ramzan, and urged the provincial government to rein in its line departments. He also stressed that intelligence agencies should not be used as a cover for the actions of any provincial department.
In the last 24 hours in Peshawar, hundreds of Afghan refugees have been detained in intensified raids. Families are being separated, children are terrified, and many now face deportation to Afg.
Regardless of policy changes, basic dignity and due process must not be abandoned. pic.twitter.com/rvjf93eeop
— Moniza Kakar (@Moni_Kakar) March 1, 2026
Moniza Kakar, a human rights defender and lawyer working with Afghan refugees, said that hundreds of Afghan nationals had been detained in intensified raids in Peshawar over the past 24 hours. “Families are being separated, children are terrified, and many now face deportation to Afghanistan,” she said. “Regardless of policy changes, basic dignity and due process must not be abandoned.”
The crackdown is not limited to KP. Reports suggest that Afghan refugees have also been arrested and detained in Quetta, Balochistan, and Karachi, Sindh.