Pakistan has postponed a deadline for the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Afghans due to the Eidul Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, a government official confirmed on Tuesday.
The government had initially set a deadline for March 31 for Afghans holding specific documentation to leave the country, intensifying efforts to repatriate Afghan nationals. However, the government has now extended the deadline until the beginning of next week due to the holiday period, according to an official.
Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) – issued by Pakistani authorities and reportedly held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations – will be subject to deportation once the new deadline expires.
Additionally, more than 1.3 million Afghans with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are set to be relocated outside the capital Islamabad and the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi.
The UN estimates that nearly three million Afghans currently reside in Pakistan, with many having sought refuge over decades of conflict in their homeland. The number surged 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 forced to return.
“Many have been living in the country for years, and going back means going back to nothing,” Kakar said.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated since the Taliban takeover. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants, a claim 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 called for the “dignified” return of Afghan refugees. Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged host countries not to forcibly remove Afghans, instead requesting support for their voluntary return.
“We ask that instead of forced deportation, Afghans should be supported and provided with facilities,” Akhund said in an Eid message delivered before Pakistan’s original deadline.
Following an ultimatum issued by Islamabad in 2023 for undocumented Afghans to leave the country, more than 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan between September 2023 and the end of March 2024, according to UN figures.
