Former Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) and PTI leader Asad Qaiser has expressed concern over the government’s decision to deport all documented Afghan migrants by force.
In his address to the NA session, Qaiser stated that these Afghans are already victims of war in their homeland. “Their country has been turned into a war zone, and such orders will only add to the suffering of these helpless people,R21; he said, questioning why Pakistan is pushing a large number of Afghans into further hardship.
Qaiser emphasized that any campaign for the forced deportation of migrants in violation of international or national laws is unjustified and highly condemnable.
Government has given Afghan migrants 24 days to ‘voluntarily’ leave Pakistan. The deadline is expired last week while it was said that those who will not follow the orders will face forced deportation.
The directive applies to holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) and all undocumented Afghan citizens. In addition, starting from April 1, the authorities, in coordination with the security forces, will launch a nationwide operation to detain and expel those who are still in the country. The advice to everyone, the statement continues, is to ‘voluntarily leave’ before the deadline at the end of the month.
Pakistan began mass deportations of undocumented Afghan refugees in November 2023, with over 800,000 ACR cardholders still residing in the country. The recent announcement therefore marks the beginning of the second phase of deportations, which targets those who had initially been authorised to stay.
Afghan migrants and rights groups have condemned Pakistan’s policy of repatriation and deportations, calling it inhumane and a violation of international human rights standards. Many of the refugees left their country of origin because the Taliban had returned to power in Kabul, and they risk their lives if they are repatriated.
Human rights defenders expressed their concerns over forced deportations saying that it will put thousands of lives at risk, as many will face persecution upon their return.
The police in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have intensified their arrests of Afghan migrants in recent days. ‘Just today, several families were picked up from different areas and transferred to Haji camp,’ said Ahmad Khalid, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan.
Since the beginning of 2025, the Pakistani authorities have extended house-to-house searches, detentions and deportations in major cities.
For thousands of Afghan families who fled Taliban rule, due to security threats, lack of education and economic hardship, Pakistan’s latest directive has only increased uncertainty about their future.
Finally, the forces patrolling the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Torkham crossing have agreed to a two-day ceasefire after weeks of hostilities, which began yesterday and for now seems to be holding despite the tensions.
The area was closed last month by the government in Islamabad following a dispute over the construction of a new checkpoint. In addition, there have been intense armed clashes in the last two weeks, causing the death of at least one person. Hundreds of people were stranded at the border and traders suffered millions in losses due to the fact that lorries were unable to cross the border.
