Pakistan has postponed a deadline for deportation of hundreds of thousands of Afghans due to Eidul Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, a government official confirmed on Tuesday.
Initially, the Government had established a deadline for March 31 for Afghans who had specific documentation to leave the country, intensifying efforts to repatriate Afghan citizens. However, the government has now extended the deadline until the beginning of next week due to the holiday period, according to an official.
The Afghan who have Afghan citizens cards (ACC), issued by the Pakistani authorities and, according to the reports, the 800,000 people, according to the United Nations, will be subject to deportation once the new term expires.
In addition, more than 1.3 million Afghas with registration cards (by) issued by the UN refugee agency (ACNUR) will be relocated outside the capital, Islamabad and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.
The UN estimates that almost three million Afghan currently reside in Pakistan, and many have sought refuge for decades of conflict in their homeland. The number arose after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Human rights groups have condemned Pakistan’s deportation campaign. Moniza Kakar, a Pakistani human rights lawyer, warned that many Afghan refugees have lived in Pakistan for years and face an uncertain future if they are forced to return.
“Many have been living in the country for years, and returning to return to nothing,” Kakar said.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified since the acquisition of the Taliban. Islamabad accuses Kabul to house militants, a claim that the Taliban government denies. In March, a Pakistani delegation met with Afghan officials in Kabul, emphasizing the importance of security cooperation in the region.
The Taliban administration has repeatedly asked the “worthy” return of Afghan refugees. Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged the host countries not to forcefully eliminate Afghan, but request support for their voluntary performance.
“We ask that, instead of forced deportation, Afghans should receive support and provide facilities,” Akhund said in an EID message delivered before the original date of Pakistan.
After an ultimatum issued by Islamabad in 2023 so that undocumented Afghans leave the country, more than 800,000 Afghan have returned to Afghanistan between September 2023 and the end of March 2024, according to UN figures.
