August 19, 2026
Muhammad Danial
PESHAWAR
On World Humanitarian Day, (August 19), as global leaders rally around human rights and dignity, Afghan families in Peshawar are facing an invisible crisis of their own: a silent struggle for legal identity, basic recognition, and family protection.
This is the story of Murad, an Afghan national who lives in Peshawar with his Pakistani wife and five children. Since his arrest by police, his family has been facing severe financial hardship, while his relatives have approached the Peshawar High Court seeking his release and his legal status in Pakistan.
According to Murad’s nephew, Sajid Ali, his uncle was the sole breadwinner of the household, and after his arrest the entire family fell into distress. “Our uncle was the sole breadwinner of this household. After his arrest, the whole family — including his five children — has been in trouble. We submitted all the required documents to NADRA for the Pakistan Origin Card, but despite a long time passing, the card has still not been issued,” Sajid Ali tells Voicepk.
Knocking on the court’s door
According to Murad’s lawyer, Jawad Khan, all the required particulars and documents for obtaining the Pakistan Origin Card had already been submitted to NADRA, yet the identity document has still not been issued. “The applicant submitted all the required particulars and documents to NADRA for the POC, but despite that, the identity document has not been issued. Murad’s wife is a Pakistani citizen, and the five children are also part of this family, so the delay in documentation is directly affecting the entire family’s life. When the matter cannot be resolved at the level of the relevant institution, the affected family is ultimately forced to turn to the courts,” Jawad Khan says.
According to legal expert advocate Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, one major reason NADRA has tightened its scrutiny of Afghan citizens’ documents is the fake cases that have surfaced in the past. “Cases have come to light in the past involving fake nikah-namas, paper marriages, forged documents, and even fake Peshawar High Court orders. In some instances, complaints have also surfaced of lawyers being involved, after which NADRA adopted a stricter verification process. But one consequence of this is that genuine families who meet all legal requirements also face additional delays and difficulties. In some cases, the relevant institutions only move forward with action after a Peshawar High Court ruling,” Gigyani says.
A major wave of Afghan returns since 2023
Murad’s case has emerged at a time when the return of Afghan nationals from Pakistan is underway on a large scale. Pakistan launched its plan for the return of illegally residing foreign nationals in September 2023. According to the United Nations, from September 15, 2023 to December 2024, approximately 910,000 Afghan nationals returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan, a figure that includes both forced returns and other forms of return.
This process accelerated further in 2025.
Officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior told the Senate Standing Committee that in 2025 alone, 1,155,221 Afghan nationals returned from Pakistan, including undocumented individuals as well as holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) and Afghan Citizen Cards.
The process has continued into 2026 as well. According to the latest figures from UNHCR and IOM, approximately 616,000 Afghan nationals had returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan by July 18, 2026 — a figure that collectively reflects voluntary returns, deportations, and other categories of return.
Pakistan also issued instructions effective July 10, 2026, to accelerate the arrest and deportation of Afghan nationals residing without valid visas, while district administrations and police were directed to send daily action reports to the Ministry of Interior.
Not just displacement — businesses are at stake too
This return process is not limited to housing and identity issues alone. Afghan nationals who have run businesses in Peshawar for years are also anxious about their future. Many families have established shops, warehouses, and other businesses in Pakistan, but in the event of return, they also face decisions about the future of their businesses, property, and livelihoods.
According to UNHCR, a large number of Afghan families who have been settled in Pakistan for decades still reside here, while at the end of 2025 there were approximately 1,418,000
Afghan refugees and other Afghans in need of protection in Pakistan.
Humanitarianism is not just about aid
The United Nations observes World Humanitarian Day every year — a day dedicated to the survival, well-being, and dignity of people affected by crises, as well as to the protection of the humanitarian workers who assist them.
Murad’s family is just one example of this broader human situation: a man under arrest, his five children, a Pakistani wife, and a legal identity document whose pursuit forced the family to knock on the court’s door.
Amid the return of Afghan nationals and the scrutiny of documents, the real question remains: alongside preventing fake documents and fraudulent cases, how can the basic rights and human dignity of genuine, legally-qualified families be ensured?