Afghans legally residing in Pakistan will not face harassment or expulsion, confirms KP government spokesperson
Published on: May 1, 2024.
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KP government’s spokesperson, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, has emphasized the importance of not harassing or expelling Afghan nationals living legally in Pakistan to avoid souring relations between the two countries. In November 2023, the government initiated the repatriation of “undocumented aliens,” but no official data has been released regarding the number of Afghan nationals who have returned to their country since then. Informed sources estimate that around half a million undocumented Afghans have returned via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in the first round. The second phase of repatriation is underway, with directives to district authorities and police to map and collect data of nearly one million documented Afghans. It is important to note that legal Afghan residents are not being targeted or expelled. According to Barrister Saif, only Afghans possessing Afghan Citizen Cards in accordance with Pakistani law and international resolutions are allowed to reside in the province. The mapping process has revealed that there are 359,000 legal Afghans living in KP. Barrister Saif warns that any action against these legal residents may lead to hatred, misunderstanding, and mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is essential for the federal government to handle this situation delicately.
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