KHYBER: Pakistan has deported 3,387 more Afghan nationals via the Torkham border crossing in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of expelled Afghan refugees to 979,486 since April 1 as part of a repatriation drive.
Pakistan had set March 31 as the deadline for Afghan nationals without legal documents and those having Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) to return home or face deportation.
Last week, Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry adviser, however, extended the deadline to April 30 and warned stern action against those found providing accommodations, houses and shops to the undocumented Afghans and other illegal foreigners.
“If anyone gives a place—whether it’s a shop or a house—on rent to an illegal foreigner, they will also be held responsible,” said Talal Chaudhry in a press conference last week.
According to local administration, 979,486 Afghan citizens, including women and children, were repatriated via Torkham crossing since the expiry of a March 31 expulsion deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, an identity card issued by Islamabad.
The latest deportation exercise is part of a larger repatriation drive of foreign citizens that began in September 2023. Under the programme, Pakistan deported 70,494 illegal Afghan families consisting of 469,159 people who have returned home via the Torkham border until March 2025.
In July 2024, Pakistan had extended the stay of 1.45 million Afghan refugees who were legally residing in the country and holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and Afghan Citizens Card until 30 June 2025.
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However, due to the Afghans’ involvement in crimes and anti-Pakistan activities, Islamabad had set a deadline of March 31 for all types of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan to leave voluntarily or face forced deportation.
“All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before 31 March 2025; thereafter, deportation will commence from 1 April 2025,” read a press release issued by the interior on March 7.
“In continuation of the government’s decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, the national leadership has now also decided to repatriate ACC-holders,” the ministry said.
