Pak seeks Afghan students' data in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as deportation deadline nears

While Pakistani forces continue to arrest Baloch leaders as police crack down on protestors, the Pakistani Ministry of Interior has directed authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) to provide records of Afghan students enroled in the province. The move is part of efforts to update the country’s foreign nationals’ database.

An official letter accessed by India Today confirmed that the ministry’s security cell instructed the provincial home secretary to submit complete details of Afghan students by March 27.

CRACKDOWN ON UNDOCUMENTED AFGHANS

Pakistan is in the final phase of its crackdown on undocumented foreigners, including holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC). The government has set a deadline of March 31 for all illegal Afghan residents to leave the country.

According to officials, over 8,76,000 Afghans have already left Pakistan since the repatriation drive began. Thousands more are expected to leave in the coming days as authorities enforce the deadline.

The Pakistani government has assured that deportations will be conducted in a humane manner. To facilitate the process, officials have arranged food and medical assistance for those returning. However, authorities have warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who remain beyond the deadline.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA'S STANCE IN REPATRIATION

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has stated that it will follow the federal government’s decision on the repatriation of Afghan refugees. However, it has clarified that refugees will not be forcibly expelled from the province. Instead, they will be encouraged to return voluntarily and will be provided with the necessary facilities to facilitate their departure.

The federal government has set March 31, 2025, as the final deadline for all illegal Afghan refugees, including those holding proof-of-registration (PoR) cards, to leave Pakistan and return to Afghanistan.

MASS DEPORTATION AND INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS

The Pakistani government has ordered all "illegal foreigners" and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave the country by March 31, warning that deportations will begin on April 1 for those who fail to comply. The directive, issued by the country's interior ministry, is part of Islamabad's "Illegal Foreigners Return Program" (IFRP), which has been in effect since November 1, 2023.

According to United Nations data, Pakistan currently hosts over 8 lakh Afghan Citizenship Card (ACC) holders and around 13 lakh registered Afghan refugees with Proof of Residence (PoR) cards. However, the government has not clarified whether PoR cardholders will be subject to the eviction order.

Since the repatriation drive began, over 8,00,000 Afghans have already returned to Afghanistan. Pakistan has hosted approximately 28 lakh Afghan refugees over the past four decades.

Among those facing deportation are thousands of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States and other Western nations following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. The mass deportation decision has drawn international attention, with concerns about the fate of vulnerable Afghans, including women and children.

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