Pakistan has postponed a deadline for the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Afghans due to the holidays of Eidul Fitr marking the end of Ramadan, a government official confirmed on Tuesday.
The government initially established a deadline for March 31 for Afghans with specific documents to leave the country, intensifying efforts to repatriate Afghan nationals. However, the government has now extended the deadline until the beginning of next week due to the vacation period, according to an official.
Afghans with Afghan citizen cards (ACC) published by the Pakistani authorities and have held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations – will be subject to expulsion once the new deadline will expire.
In addition, more than 1.3 million Afghans with proof registration cards (POR) issued by the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) should be moved outside the Islamabad capital and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.
The UN estimates that nearly three million Afghans are currently residing in Pakistan, many of whom have sought refuge for decades of conflict in their country of origin. The number increased after the Taliban found power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Human rights groups condemned the Pakistan expulsion campaign. Moniza Kakar, a Pakistani lawyer for human rights, warned that many Afghan refugees have lived in Pakistan for years and are confronted with an uncertain future if they are forced to return.
“Many have lived in the country for years, and going back means coming back,” said Kakar.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have increased since the Taliban takeover. Islamabad accuses Kabul of having hosted activists, an assertion that the Taliban government denies. In March, a Pakistani delegation met with Afghan officials in Kabul, stressing the importance of security cooperation in the region.
The Taliban administration has repeatedly called the “worthy” return of Afghan refugees. Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged host countries not to force Afghans, asking for support for their voluntary return.
“We ask that instead of a forced deportation, the Afghans should be supported and provided with installations,” said Akhund in a message from Eid delivered before the initial deadline in Pakistan.
Following an ultimatum issued by Islamabad in 2023 for undocumented Afghans to leave the country, more than 800,000 Afghans returned to Afghanistan between September 2023 and at the end of March 2024, according to UN figures.
