For Malam Zameer, who has lived in the Khababiyan Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar for four decades, the idea of returning to Afghanistan seems both unimaginable and heartbreaking. Born in Afghanistan but raised in Pakistan, he never thought he would have to leave the place where most of his children were born and raised.
“Since notifications from refugee camps were removed, I can barely sleep,” Zameer told The Express PK Press Club. “We are being asked to return, but how can we afford it? Transporting our belongings to Afghanistan costs between 200,000 and 300,000 rupees. Most of us are daily wage laborers, vegetable sellers or unemployed. Even if we want to go, how will we pay for it?”
The federal government, through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Border Regions (SAFRON), on Friday issued an official notification to immediately close 28 Afghan refugee camps across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The notification, dated October 15, 2025, states that the decision is in line with the Ministry of Interior’s guidelines of July 31, 2025.
The notice states that the land and immovable property of these camps will be handed over to the provincial government and the deputy commissioners concerned.
In another denotified camp in Shamshatoo, Raghuna Bibi (name changed) tells a similar story. Born in Haji camp in Peshawar, she got married nine years ago and has since lived in Shamshatoo with her two children. “We bought a small three-marla house here with our savings. How can we leave it behind?” she said. “My children were about to start school, but now we are being told to leave and move to Afghanistan. The uncertainty has left us mentally paralyzed.
According to data provided to The Express PK Press Club by the Afghan police station, a total of 43 Afghan refugee camps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Swabi, Nowshera, Mardan and Haripur, have been denotified. Refugees residing in these camps have been instructed to return to Afghanistan and repatriation is being carried out in stages, in accordance with government policy.
In Haripur, three Afghan camps housing around 67,000 refugees have also been denotified. According to District Police Officer (DPO) Farhan Khan, around 10,000 refugees have already crossed the Afghan border in recent days, while the repatriation of the remaining 57,000 continues.
Read: Punjab launches crackdown on illegal Afghan residents, announces whistleblower system
Sources said the move was aimed at ensuring the gradual return of Afghan citizens living illegally in Pakistan. Notices have been issued to vacate camps in Nowshera, including Akora Khattak and Khairabad.
“We are ensuring a dignified repatriation process,” DPO Khan said. “Police teams visit the camps to guide families towards voluntary return. There is no coercion, families leave voluntarily. The district administration and police follow government policy to facilitate their safe return.”
Similarly, eight Afghan camps in Peshawar, including large settlements like Khazana, Naguman, Khababiyan and Khurasan, have also been denotified. Officials said the deputy commissioner’s office advised families to prepare to leave.
However, many refugees are still awaiting clarification regarding their property and business assets before leaving.
Government sources said district administrations have been instructed to ensure that the camps are completely vacated within seven days. Authorities have reportedly completed all necessary arrangements for the dignified return of Afghan refugees, while security agencies have stepped up surveillance around the camps to maintain order.
Masood Ahmed Bangash, Peshawar SSP operations, told The Express PK Press Club: “The city police have been tasked with helping the refugees return home. We are ensuring that those who return do not face any difficulty with transportation or itinerary,” he said. “Police have been under strict instructions not to arrest or harass any Afghan refugees. Those who leave do so as part of the government’s official repatriation policy.
The move is part of the government’s policy to repatriate Afghan refugees and implement expulsion measures. Joint teams of district police and local administration monitor the registration and resettlement of camp residents. Commissioner Mardan submitted a report to the Chief Secretary and the Afghan Commissionerate entrusted the commissioner with administrative control of the liberated camps.
Expulsion of Afghans
The closures are part of a broader state policy to expel illegal Afghan refugees, accelerated by rising tensions with Afghanistan. In Punjab, the government plans to set up a “whistleblower system” to report illegal migrants, while in Sindh, authorities have started demolishing Afghan homes to facilitate repatriation.
At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, it was announced that the whistleblowing system would preserve the anonymity of informants. The government will also launch a sweep targeting illegal residents and businesses, with those found without legal status to be deported in accordance with federal policy.
The Punjab government has also decided to include Afghan nationals in the tax net. The information minister clarified that Afghans legally residing in Pakistan would not be allowed to operate businesses without paying taxes.
Learn more: Demolitions of Afghan houses begin in Karachi’s Sohrab Gothic Quarter
According to Interior Ministry statistics, around 65,000 Afghan nationals have already been expelled and operations are ongoing.
In Karachi, authorities began demolishing houses in the Afghan Basti neighborhood of Sohrab Goth. The Malir Development Authority (MDA) took control of the land to prevent encroachment and reclaim it for official use. Previously, the camp, under the jurisdiction of the Gulshan-e-Maymar police, was home to more than 3,000 households and around 15,000 Afghan nationals, although around 1,500 are believed to remain.
The human cost
In Punjab, the crackdown has sparked concern among local Pakhtun communities, who say they are frequently subjected to identity checks during police raids.
“It is because of them that our areas are subjected to repeated search operations,” said Gulzeb Khan, a businessman from Lahore Cantonment and member of the Pakhtun Welfare Association. He added that it had become difficult for his community to obtain documents such as identity cards, passports and birth certificates.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan have also expressed their distress. Moeen Khan, a laborer from Lahore, said he and his family had lived in the country for 60 years and no longer had relatives in Afghanistan. “We love Pakistan and want the two countries to live like brothers. This country has given us shelter and opportunities,” he said, recounting an incident in which police stopped his family at an entry point into the city and demanded 500 rupees to avoid deportation.
Clash on the Pak-Afghan border
Pakistan has maintained its repatriation policy since November 2023 under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan. Since then, authorities have repatriated around 1.3 million Afghans as part of the ongoing deportation campaign.
Also read: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict
However, tensions have increased recently after Afghan firing on several sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, prompting rapid military retaliation. Several Afghan posts were destroyed and dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed.
A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime following Pakistan’s “precision strikes” against the Taliban and terrorist hideouts in Kandahar and Kabul.
